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Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency and imposed a burn ban on August 1 as Washington state wildfires triggered evacuations across the Spokane region where high winds low humidity and drought conditions fueled rapid fire growth. The proclamation prohibits most outdoor and agricultural burning through September 30 to limit new ignitions amid what the governor’s office described as critically dry fuels and record-setting fire activity. Ferguson said in the announcement “I am declaring an emergency to help prevent loss of life and property damage” while urging residents to take precautions during the extreme conditions that have strained firefighting resources statewide.
The Old Trails Fire in northwest Spokane had burned more than 1200 acres by Saturday evening according to Spokane County fire officials who issued Level 3 go-now evacuation orders for neighborhoods bounded by Newkirk Road Trails Road Hayford Road and Euclid Road among other expanding zones. An evacuation center opened at Spokane Falls Community College with a second shelter established at the Spokane Convention Center for displaced residents the county emergency management department reported. Power outages hit parts of the affected areas as utility crews from Avista worked to restore service while firefighters battled the wind-driven blaze that prompted the National Guard to mobilize for the first time under a particularly dangerous fire weather warning issued for Eastern Washington.
Spokane County Fire District 3 Chief Cody Rohrbach called the weather Saturday the most significant wildfire event of the year in comments reported by the Spokesman-Review as authorities noted that personnel were stretched thin with additional city firefighters called in to assist. The warning covered multiple zones including the Waterville Plateau Okanogan Valley Western Columbia Basin Colville Reservation Palouse and Snake River areas where dry fuels have elevated risks. Officials emphasized that anyone under evacuation notice should leave immediately without attempting to gather belongings or wait for further alerts.
Statewide the 2026 Washington wildfires have burned approximately 230000 acres with this latest outbreak contributing to the toll a Wikipedia compilation of official tallies indicated while the National Interagency Fire Center has tracked above-average fire activity across the West this summer. Ferguson separately noted that the emergency declaration would help coordinate resources as 10 active fires burned across the state according to a statement from his office. No injuries or fatalities have been confirmed from the Spokane-area fires state officials with the Department of Natural Resources confirmed though some structures have been lost in the path of the flames.
The response builds on prior preparedness efforts including a neighborhood wildfire evacuation drill the City of Spokane conducted in April 2026 in the Latah Hangman and Eagle Ridge areas its emergency management department reported. That exercise evaluated alerting systems resident compliance traffic flow and inter-agency coordination producing recommendations now being applied to the current crisis. Local fire authorities have stressed the importance of compliance with evacuation orders to ensure public safety as containment lines are established on the growing blazes.
In a separate statement tied to the emergency Ferguson added that the state is facing a very serious situation with multiple fires and our hearts go out to Washingtonians who are losing their homes. The burn ban and emergency measures aim to support ongoing suppression efforts while drought conditions persist across Eastern Washington a governor’s office assessment found. Fire managers continue to assess property damage in evacuated zones as crews work to gain control of the Old Trails Fire and other nearby incidents.
