APTOPIX Western Wildfires

Miriam Sim, 76, reacts while talking about her neighborhood largely burning to the ground after a wildfire hit the northern part of Spokane, Wash., Monday, Aug. 3, 2026.

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Washington state fires destroy hundreds of buildings and force Spokane-area residents to evacuate

Washington state fires destroy hundreds of buildings and force Spokane-area residents to evacuate

Some residents have returned to devastated neighborhoods in eastern Washington state to find their homes leveled by wildfires that erupted across a parched landscape over the weekend. Yards have been covered in charred debris and in some cases only chimneys remained standing. The fires in and around Spokane, the state’s second-largest city, filled the sky with smoke and haze. Better firefighting weather arrived Monday, though it's expected to be hot and dry again by midweek. About 700 buildings have been destroyed and some 67,000 people are under evacuation orders. No deaths have been reported. The fires are among dozens that are straining firefighting resources across the Western U.S.