Evacuations urged as wildfire in Washington state grows to 20,000 acres

Officials in Spokane County have asked residents to honour evacuation orders and not return to their homes until it is deemed safe

One person has died and evacuations are in place as two wildfires burn in north Washington State.

The Oregon Road Fire and the Gray Fire have burned more than 20,000 acres in Spokane County, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. The wildfires broke out on 19 August and have not been contained in any capacity.

Spokane County has a three-level system to alert residents to the threats of wildfires, according to KHQ. On Sunday, evacuation orders and level 2 orders, or “get set to leave,” remained in place for areas in the City of Spokane.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department has sent firefighters and resources to help assist with the Gray Fire burning near Highway 195 and Thorpe Rd and the Oregon Road Fire in the rural community of Elk.

Weather hindered the department’s response on Saturday, but a statement on Sunday indicated that personnel was working overtime to contain the blaze. Aircraft are also being employed in the response to the fire.

More than 180 structures have been damaged and certain areas in Medical Lake have experienced power outages as a result of the fires, CNN reports. The county declared a state of emergency on Saturday

The Gray Fire was first reported on Friday at noon near Medical Lake before it spread by wind to the east.

“Crews worked through the night to create dozer and headlines around the fire edge,” a statement by the Spokane Valley Fire Department on Sunday read. “Moderating fire activity allowed the crews to secure and hold the line overnight. Crews will continue to hold the line and work to hold the line throughout the day.”

Dozers are vehicles sometimes used in firefighting for constructing firelines around a blaze.

The cause of the fire has not been determined at this time, but around 400 personnel are responding to the emergency. Officials have warned that air quality has continued to deteriorate and is currently considered hazardous across the Spokane County area

Residents who have not received evacuation orders are asked to stay indoors if possible. People with large animals are advised to take them to the Spokane Fairgrounds, the state’s DNR Wildfire said.

“The men and women of the fire department have been working very diligently as resources are stretched. We need the public’s assistance in making our jobs to make our work easier,” Spokane County Sheriff’s Chief John Nowels said on Saturday.