The Wildfire Disaster Unfolding In Spokane, Washington

Wildfires dot the Pacific Northwest on Saturday August 1, 2026.

Lede: Wildfire Disaster In Spokane, Washington

"A dangerous wind shift (visible on radar imagery) has just occurred in #Spokane, WA, where major wildfire disaster is currently unfolding," wrote weather and climate expert Daniel Swain Saturday evening on LinkedIn. "Three separate major fires (circled) near or within city limits have already caused major structure loss & chaotic, expanding evacs," he went on to say. Here's the latest information at the time of writing early Sunday morning.

Signatures of wildfires on weathe radar on the evening of August 2, 2026.

As of early Sunday morning fires were still burning. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency earlier in the weekend. Fast-moving wildfires and extremely poor air quality due to smoke have engulfed much of the Pacific Northwest and forced evacuations.

Old Trails Fire is seen from W. Northwest Blvd., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)

The Old Trails Fire has been particularly dangerous according to officials with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). According to media reports, that particular fire had grown to 3000 acres and had already damaged structures and forced people from their homes in the wildland-urban interface. What's the wildland-urban interface?

Real-time evacuation information for Spokane County, Washington as of 7:00 am EDT on August 2, 2026.

"The wildland-urban interface, or WUI, is the area where structures and other human developments meet or intermingle with wildland vegetation," wrote the Colorado State Forest Service website. "During the past few decades, population in the interface has increased. Homes, businesses and subdivisions are being built on forested lands that have historically seen regular fires, and even need them to remain healthy," the website went on to say.

Wildland-Urban Interface in the western United States.

What's Causing The Wildfires To Spread?

On social media, the Governor of Washington blamed "record-setting drought and high winds" for creating the dangerous conditions as he declared an emergency and issued a statewide burn ban. The U.S. Drought monitor shows that the eastern part of the state is currently in moderate to extreme drought conditions and has been for several weeks. According to their data, 1.8 million residents are currently experiencing drought conditions in the state.

Current drought conditions in the state of Washington.

Strong winds are also contributing to the elevated fire conditions expected again on Sunday. "Cooler air will continue into move into the region today behind the strong dry cold front passage from Saturday that brought the extreme fire weather conditions to the area," NWS noted. "Although weaker, winds will be locally breezy Sunday afternoon with gusts of 15-20 mph out of the west…. Stronger gusts will occur Sunday evening through the Cascade gaps with northwest winds gusting up to 30 MPH." The winds are associated with an upper trough dropping over the region.

Though a front is moving through the region, the air near the surface is so dry that it is unlikely any beneficial precipitation will happen, but a few sprinkles cannot be ruled out. "After the trough exits, a dry northwest flow occurs over the region on Monday followed by high pressure gradually building into Tuesday and Wednesday," cautioned NWS. Unfortunately this will keep warm and dry conditions around into the new week. "Given the north-northwest flow on Monday more rounds of smoke will impact the region from regional wildfires, including smoke coming down from British Columbia," they continued.

The Smoke Hazard Is Dangerous Too

The National Weather Service has also issued an Air Quality Alert for Asotin, Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Stevens Counties until furthernotice because of current and expected wildfire smoke. NWS wrote, "Particulate matter (PM2.5) may reach unhealthy levels through the weekend, especially inareas downwind from active wildfires in Washington, Oregon, andBritish Columbia."

Old Trails Fire burns near Dwight Merkel Sports Complex, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)

An Air Quality Alert has also been issued for Grant, Lincoln, andSpokane counties until further notice due to expected smoke impactsfrom ongoing and emerging fires. Shifting winds will likely bringsmoke into these counties beginning Saturday evening. PM2.5 may reachunhealthy levels.

When air quality is unhealthy, everyone should reduce exposure.Limit time outside, avoid strenuous outdoor activity, and follow tipsfor cleaner indoor air.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com