SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — This wildfire season is shaping up to be one of the worst that Washington has ever seen.
Three wildfires in Spokane County are still spreading rapidly as of Monday morning, and hundreds of people have already lost their homes and livelihoods.
Dave Upthegrove with the Department of Natural Resources confirmed on Monday that at least 700 homes have been destroyed, and more than 65,000 people have been evacuated.
More evacuations are underway today as the fires progress with 0% containment.
About 900 firefighters are helping fight the fires in Spokane. DNR officials say they are from dozens of WA cities, more than a dozen states, and even Australia. Upthegrove said they are working around the clock to contain these fires.
Valley Professional Fire, which is based in the Auburn and Pacific area, and Central Pierce Fire are among the Western Washington crews sent over.
Spokane is not the only area facing fire this week.
“We have about 5,000 people responding to 15 major wildfires across Washington, and about a quarter million acres are currently burning,” Upthegrove said.
Upthegrove says even with those resources, it’s hard to find enough people to help in this situation.
“The fact that the state of Oregon, Utah, the Midwest, California, and Canada are also all on fire means the resources available to fight these fires are stretched thinner than ever,” Upthegrove said.
He tells us the people in Spokane are fighting for their health today.
“The smoke in and around Spokane is crippling almost everyone.”
Experts say the wind is shifting and that smoke is headed towards Seattle, creating a potential health hazard throughout the week.
“Wildfire smoke can be dangerous to those, particularly who are elderly, who have asthma, young children, and it’s one of the ways that wildfire impacts all of the state of Washington,” Upthegrove said.
The cause of the fires is under investigation as crews work tirelessly to stop it from spreading.