Apocalyptic Inferno in Spokane: Fast-Moving Wildfire Forces Mass Evacuations as Homes Burn and Hospital is Emptied (VIDEOS)

 

A fast-moving wildfire, being called the Old Trails Fire, erupted in Spokane County, Washington, on Saturday, rapidly expanding under strong winds and prompting widespread Level 3 “Go Now” evacuations that forced thousands of residents to flee their homes.

The blaze ignited around 11:56 a.m. near Airway Heights west of Spokane and quickly grew from an estimated 100 acres to over 3,500 acres as it pushed into residential neighborhoods, crossed the Spokane River, and threatened Riverside State Park.

By evening, multiple homes had been burned, with videos posted to social media showing the devastation.

Officials described conditions as life-threatening, with thick smoke filling the skies and traffic backing up on evacuation routes. 

Spokane County Emergency Management issued the highest-level evacuation orders for multiple zones, including areas between Rutter Parkway and Francis Avenue, from the Spokane River to Division Street, neighborhoods northeast of Airway Heights, and sections northwest of Nine-Mile Falls.

A veterans’ hospital was fully evacuated, with patients transferred to other facilities, and city infrastructure, including a water treatment plant and a wastewater facility, was also cleared.

An emergency shelter opened at Spokane Falls Community College to house those displaced.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and imposed a burn ban through September as more than 200,000 acres burned in a dozen large fires.

The Washington National Guard has been mobilized, and state fire resources were authorized under the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan.

The cause of the Old Trails Fire remains under investigation.