In brief
Wildfires in Spokane, Washington, have scorched over 860 structures—including dozens of homes—forcing thousands of residents into mandatory evacuation. The BBC’s Max Matza reports from a neighbourhood now left in ruins. Police have arrested a suspect on suspicion of arson connected to one of the blazes. Residents are waiting for the fire to subside before safe return and rebuilding. The situation underscores the rising threat of wildfires across the Pacific Northwest.
Wildfires have scorched the Spokane borough of PINE‑ARMS, obliterating over 860 buildings, many of them private homes, according to emergency officials.
Thirteen residents are still under a mandatory evacuation order, and the civil‑public safety department says the blaze could threaten more neighborhoods if wind conditions shift.
Investigators arrested a 53‑year‑old local man on suspicion of arson in connection with a separate fire that ignited in the area earlier this week.
The BBC’s Max Matza is on the ground in the hardest hit area, capturing the silence of a neighborhood that once bustled with family life. Children who woke up to the crackling of structures weren’t just waking to a landscape, but to a complete sense of loss, he notes.
Fire‑fighting crews from across the state are rationing water and manpower, while federal aid has been pledged to assist displaced families. All residents are advised to stay out, as the engines have no guarantee of extinguishing every log before the hurricane season peaks.
This is not the first time Spokane has faced the wildfire scourge, but the scale of destruction has exceeded prior estimates, prompting calls for a stronger fire‑management framework in the state.
