Briefing|Wildfires Force 60,000 Evacuations in Spokane

Wildfires force 60,000 evacuations in Spokane

At least three wildfires ballooned over the weekend in Spokane County, Wash., burning more than 5,390 acres and forcing the evacuation of about 60,000 people — about a tenth of the area’s residents.

Firefighters were racing to take advantage of weather conditions that had slightly improved, but those conditions could worsen again by Wednesday. Officials said at a news conference yesterday that no deaths, injuries or missing people had been reported as a result of the fires, but they cautioned that those figures could change.

Officials said it was too early to determine the full extent of the damage. “When the sun rises in the morning, I think we’re going to be in shock to see some of the scenes that emerge,” Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the Washington National Guard commander, said at a briefing.

Residents in the Pacific Northwest have dealt with a record-breaking wildfire season, largely because of excessive drought and heat. More than 1,000 fires have burned this year in Washington alone, covering about 425,000 acres.