Three fast-moving wildfires ignited simultaneously in the Spokane, Washington area over Labor Day weekend and merged into what authorities have designated the Spokane Complex Fire. As of early this week, the combined fires have burned more than 7,700 acres with 0% containment and destroyed or damaged at least 600 structures, including homes and outbuildings across Spokane County.
Three Fires, One Catastrophic Complex
The Old Trails Fire, Fairview Fire, and Autumn Lane Fire all ignited on Saturday afternoon, driven by extreme fire weather conditions including sustained high winds, very low relative humidity, and critically dry fuels following a summer of record heat and drought. By Sunday morning, incident commanders had consolidated the three blazes into the Spokane Complex Fire under a unified command.
Firefighters reported the blazes were crowning — burning in the tops of trees — which dramatically complicates aerial and ground suppression efforts. As the fires pushed through densely populated suburban and semi-rural areas of Spokane County, the primary mission shifted from aggressive fire attack to protecting lives.
Governor Declares State of Emergency
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide state of emergency on Saturday as the fires spread and issued a burn ban in effect through the end of September. He traveled to Spokane on Sunday to meet with emergency personnel and survey the damage firsthand.
"Things are extremely dynamic, especially in Spokane," Governor Ferguson said at a Saturday evening press conference. Washington National Guard Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh echoed the governor's somber assessment: "In Spokane, it's a tragedy what we are seeing over there. When the sun rises, we are going to be in shock to see the scenes that come out of there."
Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning
The National Weather Service issued a rare Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Red Flag Warning for parts of eastern Washington and Oregon — including the Spokane and Pendleton areas — representing the highest level of fire weather alert available. The warning cited persistent strong winds, single-digit relative humidity, and critically dry fuels across the region.
Fire weather alerts blanketed a large swath of the Northwest, from the Oregon high desert to eastern Montana, as a powerful weather system pushed hot, dry, and windy conditions deep into the interior. The PDS designation is reserved for events meteorologists assess as having exceptional potential for extremely rapid and dangerous fire spread.
Scale of Destruction
State officials warned that approximately 4,000 structures were threatened by the Spokane Complex at the height of its activity over the weekend. Early damage assessments confirm at least 600 structures damaged or destroyed. Damage surveyors noted a pattern typical of wind-driven urban interface fires: some blocks completely wiped out while adjacent streets remained largely intact, reflecting how embers can travel far ahead of the main fire front to ignite structures well outside the visible fire perimeter.
InciWeb maintains an active incident page for the Spokane Complex at inciweb.wildfire.gov. Residents should monitor Spokane County Emergency Management for the latest evacuation orders, road closures, and re-entry status.