A rapidly spreading blaze known as the Old Trails Fire triggered the highest level of evacuation orders across parts of Spokane County, Washington, on Saturday, as Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency and forecasters issued a rare warning for explosive fire growth.
Families across Spokane County, Washington, scrambled to flee their homes on Saturday as the fast-moving Old Trails Fire sent plumes of smoke into the sky and stalled traffic along evacuation routes. Local emergency management officials issued Level 3 evacuation orders, the highest level available, for several areas in the region, warning residents to leave immediately given the life-threatening conditions. Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency and implemented a statewide burn ban the same day, as the National Weather Service issued a rare Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning across Central and Eastern Washington.
How the fire developed
According to a news release from the Washington State Fire Marshal, the Old Trails Fire began around midday on Saturday, with state firefighters mobilised roughly 90 minutes later, at around 1:30pm. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. Fuelled by extreme fire weather conditions, the fire had burned more than 2,300 acres by Saturday, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Fire behaviour experts note that when strong winds combine with extremely dry vegetation, wildfires can spread several miles within just a few hours, while burning embers can be carried more than a mile ahead of the main fire front, sparking new spot fires well beyond existing containment lines.
Evacuations and the emergency response
Emergency officials opened an evacuation shelter at a local community college for residents fleeing their homes, while those in Level 2 zones, one step below the highest alert, were told to prepare to leave at short notice should conditions worsen. The nearby Fairview Fire has also triggered Level 3 evacuations in the Spokane area. Firefighting crews have deployed air tankers, helicopters, bulldozers and hand crews to try to bring the Old Trails Fire under control, though strong winds have at times limited the effectiveness of aerial operations. The fire has threatened homes, businesses, power infrastructure and recreational land, including Riverside State Park, with officials warning that shifting winds could push the flames in unpredictable directions.
To support the response, Governor Ferguson activated 110 members of the Washington National Guard on Friday, with troops assisting state agencies with logistics, firefighting support and emergency operations as multiple major wildfires burn simultaneously across the state. The Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office has separately mobilised 13 task forces to assist. Describing the strain on local services, the Spokane Valley Fire Department said its “resources across our region are being stretched extremely thin” as multiple large wildfires continue to burn.
A warning system pushed to its limit
The National Weather Service’s Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning, in effect across Central and Eastern Washington between 11am and 9pm on Saturday, represents the highest level of fire weather alert issued by forecasters, reserved for conditions capable of producing explosive wildfire growth. It was the first time such a warning had ever been issued in Washington state. Explaining the significance of the alert, the Washington Department of Natural Resources said it meant “new fires can grow out of control rapidly,” adding that aircraft response could be limited by wind and smoke, and that already-stretched wildland firefighters would be operating in more dangerous conditions than usual. Red Flag Warnings of this kind are typically triggered by a combination of strong winds, very low humidity, dry vegetation and high temperatures, conditions under which even a small spark can quickly ignite a fast-moving fire.
Authorities had earlier warned of “historically strong winds” and low humidity fuelling a high risk of extreme fire behaviour and rapid growth around Spokane. Wind gusts of between 30 and 45 miles per hour were recorded at many locations on Saturday, alongside sustained winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service, with conditions expected to continue strengthening into the evening and peak winds forecast to persist until around 8pm.
Governor Ferguson declares a state of emergency
Announcing the statewide burn ban and emergency declaration, Governor Ferguson said, “our record-setting drought and high winds are creating dangerous conditions across the state.” He said the emergency declaration was intended to help prevent loss of life and property damage, and urged residents across Washington to do their part to help protect the state during the extreme conditions.
Power shutoffs and air quality concerns
In an effort to reduce the risk of electrical equipment sparking further wildfires, utility companies implemented targeted power shutoffs in some areas on Saturday. Energy provider Avista cut power to hundreds of homes, citing “critical to extreme fire weather conditions,” while a second provider, Inland Power & Light, also reported outages linked to the weather. Smoke from the fires has meanwhile significantly reduced air quality across parts of eastern Washington, prompting health officials to issue advice for vulnerable groups, including children, older adults and people with respiratory conditions. Residents have also been urged to avoid any activity that could spark new fires, including campfires, outdoor burning, fireworks and the use of spark-generating equipment.
Part of an unusually severe fire season
The Old Trails Fire is one of 12 large wildfires currently burning across Washington, which together have consumed more than 200,000 acres, according to the governor’s office. The state is in the midst of its fourth consecutive year of statewide drought, a prolonged dry spell that has left forests and grasslands unusually susceptible to large, fast-spreading fires. More than 1,000 fires have burned around 425,000 acres across Washington so far this year, the most since 2021, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said this has already become “one of our busiest wildfire years on record, and we just started August.” While Washington’s wildfire season typically peaks between July and September, officials have warned that prolonged drought and hotter conditions are lengthening the season and increasing the frequency of major fires, a trend that has made Spokane County’s wildfire seasons increasingly severe in recent years.
