Three wildfires burning on the edge of Spokane, Washington, have destroyed hundreds of homes, businesses and other buildings and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes since breaking out over the weekend. By Sunday evening, August 9, officials put the loss at more than 900 structures damaged or destroyed, and crews had the Autumn Lane fire 73% contained and the Old Trails and Fairview fires 53% contained. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels announced that afternoon that evacuation levels were being downgraded across much of north Spokane, letting thousands of people return home for the first time in a week. Earlier in the week the Associated Press, citing fire and law enforcement officials, put the loss at roughly 600 to 700 buildings and about 60,000 people evacuated, and Axios reported roughly 640 structures destroyed.
Key facts
- More than 900 structures damaged or destroyed, by officials’ August 9 count
- About 65,000 people were evacuated; thousands were allowed home starting Sunday, August 9, as many zones dropped to Level 1. By August 10, most evacuation orders across all three fires had been downgraded to Level 1 or lifted entirely, per the Spokesman-Review and local reporting, with only the immediate fire perimeters and a few threatened zones — including parts of Suncrest — still under higher alert as of that reporting
- 73% containment on the Autumn Lane fire and 53% on the Old Trails and Fairview fires, as of Sunday evening, August 9
- No confirmed deaths; all 14 people who had been unaccounted for have been confirmed safe
- Three fires — Old Trails, Fairview and Autumn Lane — together called the Spokane Complex
- ~9,900 acres across the three fires — Autumn Lane 5,776, Old Trails 3,176 and Fairview 992 — as of Sunday evening, August 9
Damage and evacuation figures are still being revised. The numbers above reflect what officials had reported as of Sunday evening, August 9.
How the Fires Started and Spread
The largest of the three, the Old Trails Fire, started around noon on Saturday, August 1, near Old Trails Road and Euclid Road just north of Airway Heights. Fanned by strong winds, it tore through Riverside State Park, jumped the Spokane River, and pushed into northwest Spokane neighborhoods including Indian Trail and Five Mile Prairie.
Two other fires are burning nearby:
- The Fairview Fire, near Mead
- The Autumn Lane Fire, northwest of Nine Mile Falls
Together, the three are being referred to as the Spokane Complex. Combined, they had burned about 7,700 acres — roughly 12 square miles — by Sunday, according to a federal incident management team report, and about 10,400 acres by Wednesday night, August 5.
What Officials Know So Far
Fire and law enforcement officials said Sunday that no injuries or missing people had been reported, but cautioned it was still early in the response and that the toll could change as crews reach areas the fire has already passed through. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels echoed that warning Monday. By Wednesday, August 5, Nowels said all 14 people who had been unaccounted for were confirmed safe, and that there was “not a high likelihood there’s been a fatality” — while allowing that it is hard to be sure about anyone who had nobody looking for them.
Authorities have charged Aaron Farinacci, 37, with first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire, the largest of the three blazes. Investigations into the causes of the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires are ongoing; Nowels said on August 5 that investigators believe at least one of the two was likely an accidental human ignition, without saying which.
Estimates of how many structures have burned vary by source and by the hour: about 600 to 700 early in the week, and at least 846 by the estimate fire officials gave on August 5, after earlier internal figures that ranged from 700 to 1,100. Officials describe even the higher figures as preliminary. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown called it “the worst natural disaster our region has faced.” Evacuees have included patients moved out of Spokane’s Veterans Affairs hospital.
The Emergency Response
- Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide state of emergency and a burn ban covering the fire season, and spoke with President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin about the response.
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved grants to help cover firefighting costs for several of the fires.
- The Washington National Guard was activated to help local crews — the first time it has been called out for a Washington fire since 2021 — with about 30 personnel deployed initially, organized into two units.
- A California-based federal incident management team has taken command of the firefighting effort.
Weather Outlook
The National Weather Service issued its first-ever “Particularly Dangerous Situation” red flag warning for central and eastern Washington as the fires spread, reflecting extreme, fast-moving fire conditions.
A second weekend of red-flag conditions came and went without the fires breaking out again. “Our weather event that came in yesterday did not cause the spread of the fire in a way we were very concerned that it was going to,” Nowels said on Sunday, August 9, announcing the downgraded evacuation levels. About 1,700 firefighters from multiple agencies were working the three fires, concentrating on mop-up, hot spots and damaged utilities.
The Spokane fires are part of a busier-than-usual wildfire season across the West: Washington state has 17 active large fires, and the country as a whole has already seen more fires and more acres burned than the 10-year average, according to Axios.
Update, Aug. 13: Fires 97% contained, evacuations lifted
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reported Aug. 13, 2026, that the Old Trails, Fairview and Autumn Lane fires had all reached 97% containment and that all remaining evacuation orders had been lifted. Crews shifted to mop-up, patrol and utility repairs; officials said 833 structures were destroyed in total, while more than 11,000 were saved. Officials cautioned residents returning to previously evacuated areas to be careful around vehicles and metal structures that may still hold heat, and said the EPA was inspecting public infrastructure for hazardous materials before it re-opens.
If You Live in the Area
- Check Spokane County’s evacuation map to see if your address is inside or near an evacuation zone.
- Sign up for ALERT Spokane, the county’s emergency notification system.
- Have a “go bag” ready in case evacuation orders expand.
Shelter information:
- The main shelter for evacuees has been the Spokane Convention Center downtown, which has housed more than 400 people overnight.
- An earlier shelter at Spokane Falls Community College lost power.
- Evacuated animals and livestock can be sheltered at the Spokane County Fairgrounds.
Because shelter locations can shift as conditions change, residents looking for the latest options should check directly with Spokane County Emergency Management or the Red Cross rather than relying on older listings.
Other Fires Burning Nearby
Separately, other fires are burning in neighboring Stevens County and have triggered their own evacuation orders:
- The Two Rivers Fire, near the Spokane Reservation
- The Bradeen Hill Fire, near Gifford
These appear to be distinct incidents from the Spokane Complex, handled apart from the Old Trails, Fairview and Autumn Lane fires — though some evacuation zones tied to the Autumn Lane Fire extend into Stevens County as well.