Amid one of the worst fire seasons that the Pacific Northwest has ever experienced, Spokane and its eponymous county are now facing four wildfires, the largest of which has crossed the river and entered city limits. High winds overnight exacerbated the Spokane Complex Fire, which have now caused thousands of evacuations and have compromised electricity service.
The wildfire in Spokane is just one of ten large-scale fires burning in Washington State currently, and the governor has declared a state of emergency. Though Spokane International Airport is currently still open, the large scale of the evacuation orders have caused many travelers to reschedule their trips to the region.
The Spokane Complex Fire Threatens Thousands
Around noon on August 1, 2026, the Old Trails Fire – the largest of the four Spokane Fires currently wreaking havoc on the county – broke out northeast of the city limits. Recent record-high heat in the Pacific Northwest has left the landscape particularly vulnerable to wildfires, and this one quickly spiraled out of control.
As if one inferno wasn’t enough of a threat, the city is encircled by three more: the Fairview Fire, the Meadowbrook Fire, and the Autumn Lane Fire. Along with the Old Trails Fire, they are being referred to collectively as the Spokane Complex.
By Saturday evening, nearly 13,000 customers had lost power, and it became increasingly difficult to communicate as internet service was disrupted and cellular towers became overloaded. Level 3 evacuation orders have ordered thousands of residents to “leave now due to the life-threatening conditions,” as dozens of homes have already burnt to the ground, with thousands still at risk.
The National Guard Has Been Mobilized To Help
The Washington National Guard was deployed to aid in traffic management and other needs as they arise, and declared on Facebook that they are “all in on this fight.”
“We are rapidly mobilizing units of the Washington National Guard tonight to help assist the City of Spokane and Spokane County with their horrific wildfire situation. We’re also pulling together a general purpose manpower pool that can be made immediately available to local authorities as additional requirements emerge over the coming days. The Washington National Guard is all in on this fight,” the Washington National Guard said in a Facebook post.
Overnight, despite hopes that lower temperatures would help to dampen the blaze, strong winds only maintained their veracity. Thankfully, winds finally subsided to between five and 15 miles per hour by early Sunday morning, creating far more favorable conditions to get the blaze under control.
The Spokane Complex Fire Is Just One Of The Blazes The Pacific Northwest Is Currently Battling
Nearly half a million acres have already burned in Washington State so far this year, and firefighters are currently battling ten large fires that have been exacerbated by the historic heat dome temperatures. Governor Bob Ferguson has declared a statewide emergency, though he shared a special message for Spokane, where he plans to visit Sunday morning.
“I’ll be heading to Spokane Sunday morning to meet with responders and monitor the emergency response. My thoughts are with the first responders and all those under evacuation tonight. If you are in the area, please continue to be vigilant and follow directions of emergency personnel,” Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson said on X.
While Washington State approaches a half-million acres burned during this fire season, the rest of the Pacific Northwest is struggling with their own blazes as well. Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia are all contending with historic wildfires stemming from the combination of a below-average snowpack from last winter and sweltering heat this summer.
Oregon has been hit particularly hard this year, with a total loss of acreage due to wildfires already nearing two million. Experts believe they may break the record set in 2024 to make this the most devastating year for wildfires in Oregon in modern history.
What To Do In Response To The Spokane Complex Fire
This unprecedented fire season will affect thousands of residents across the Pacific Northwest, many of which will be in need of aid. If you would like to pitch in to the aid effort, the United Ways of the Pacific Northwest organizes a rolling Disaster Relief Fund. Begun in 2020 in response to wildfires in the Northwest that forced hundreds from their homes, they already have sophisticated systems already in place to distribute aid to those affected.
“We saw the demand for a regional fund and were successful in moving funds to local communities most in need. We keep this fund open year-round to ensure we are always prepared to support local communities facing devastating disasters,” the United Ways of the Pacific Northwest’s Disaster Relief information page reads.
Residents of Spokane are urged to check the Spokane County Evacuation Address Lookup for updates, and to seek refuge at one of the evacuation shelters in need be. Though authorities had created an evacuation center at Spokane Falls Community College, a power outage forced it to move to the Spokane Convention Center which remains the predominant evacuation point at this time.
Those who were planning to visit will likely want to reschedule. While only a portion of the city is actively ablaze, the combination of the lack of services, power outages, poor air quality, and road closures make this a not ideal – possibly irresponsible – time to visit Spokane County. Currently, American Airlines has announced free rebooking on flights to Spokane International Airport, and other airlines will likely follow.
