Fast moving wildfires burning on the outskirts of Spokane, Washington, for a third consecutive day have destroyed at least 700 buildings and forced more than 64,000 residents to evacuate, as firefighters battle one of the most destructive blazes in the United States this year.
Three major fires have scorched more than 8,000 acres (3,200 hectares) since erupting on Saturday north of Spokane, Washington state’s second largest city. The fires have become the top wildfire suppression priority nationwide amid a severe wildfire season across the drought stricken Pacific Northwest.
Authorities said aerial surveys indicate that an additional 400 structures may have been damaged or destroyed. While no deaths or injuries have been officially confirmed, emergency officials warned the toll could rise as search teams gain access to devastated communities where several people have been reported missing.
The fires spread rapidly through forests and residential neighbourhoods, driven by strong winds that carried flames across the Spokane River. Video footage showed aircraft dropping fire retardant as towering columns of smoke rose above the city’s northern outskirts.
More than 1,100 firefighters have been deployed to the Spokane fires, although officials said none of the three blazes had been contained as of Monday. Fire crews hope cooler weather will provide a brief opportunity to slow the fires before hotter, drier and windier conditions return later this week.
Washington state is currently battling 15 major wildfires, with more than 250,000 acres burning statewide. Across the United States, more than 44,700 wildfires have been recorded so far this year, consuming nearly 5.2 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Scientists say increasingly frequent and intense wildfires are being fuelled by prolonged drought and extreme heat linked to human caused climate change.
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