Wildfires continued to spread across eastern Washington state, destroying more than 600 structures and forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate as firefighters battled multiple blazes under extreme weather conditions, according to media reports on Sunday.
The Spokane Complex Fire, comprising the Old Trails, Fairview, and Autumn Lane fires, has burned more than 7,700 acres and remains 0% contained, according to officials.
No injuries have been reported.
Authorities said about 60,000 people within Spokane's city limits have been evacuated, while mandatory evacuation orders remained in effect in parts of Spokane County and were expanded to areas of neighboring Stevens County.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown described the fires as "really the worst natural disaster our region has faced."
Officials said at least 640 structures were destroyed by the Old Trails Fire alone, although authorities have not yet determined how many of these were homes, businesses, or schools.
Around 4,000 structures remain under threat.
Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide state of emergency and imposed a burn ban through the end of September, citing drought conditions and rapidly changing fire behavior.
He also said requests had been made for immediate Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance and additional federal recovery funding.
"Things are extremely dynamic, especially in Spokane," Ferguson said.
Washington National Guard Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh called the situation "a tragedy," saying: "When the sun rises, we are going to be in shock to see the scenes that come out of there."
The National Weather Service issued a rare Particularly Dangerous Situation red flag warning across parts of eastern Washington and Oregon, warning that strong winds and very dry conditions could fuel rapid fire growth.
State officials said 15 wildfires were burning across Washington, having consumed about 250,000 acres, while more than 1.7 million acres have burned in neighboring Oregon this year.
Fire weather alerts remained in effect across much of the Pacific Northwest as smoke continued to affect air quality.
