Wildfires in and around **Spokane, eastern Washington**, forced the evacuation of **60,000 people**, destroying at least **600** homes, businesses, and other structures.

Wildfires in and around Spokane, eastern Washington, led authorities to evacuate 60,000 people and destroy at least 600 homes, businesses, and other structures.

Fires burned about 8.2 square miles (21 square kilometers) around Spokane over the weekend, and roughly 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) had burned across the state, with some fires—including those near Spokane—still not contained.

Officials said there were no reports of injuries or people unaccounted for, though they stressed it was early; evacuees included patients at the U.S. Veterans Affairs hospital.

Authorities had not determined how the blazes started, and several officials warned the area is unlikely to see relief because weather is expected to remain dry.

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell said, “We are not out of danger,” adding that the “next couple of days will be challenging.”

Investigations were ongoing. Separately, a fire in western Idaho and eastern Oregon burned nearly 525 square miles (about 1,360 square kilometers) of grassland, threatened more than 600 homes and 800 other structures, and crews continued efforts for a 10th day using bulldozers and helicopters; authorities said it was caused by lightning.

The National Weather Service issued air quality warnings across multiple states and issued red flag fire warnings and extreme heat warnings for additional regions. In the Spokane area, winds were expected to gust 35 mph to 45 mph, with terrain described as featuring steep canyons that channel and intensify wind; three fires were cited: the Old Trails Fire, the Fairview Fire, and the Meadowview Fire.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency, and a shelter was set up at Spokane’s main convention center, where about 400 people were staying.