A wildfire driven by high winds jumped the Spokane River Saturday afternoon, burning homes and quickly moving into the Indian Trail Neighborhood.
New level 3 (go now) evacuation orders were issued just before 3:30 p.m., affecting thousands of people within the Spokane city limits. They were later expanded to include all of the city north of Francis Avenue and west of Division Street.
Officials urged all residents in the evacuation zone to leave immediately.
The Old Trails fire is reported to have grown to 2,500 acres by 4:30 p.m., pushed by wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph.
Flames and smoke were cascading over trees next to Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, 3624 W. Indian Trail Road, about 4:30 p.m. Fire crews were on scene working to protect the school and church. Police were speeding north on North Indian Trail Road while residents were fleeing southbound.
(Spokane County Emergency Management)
Spokane City Councilwoman Kitty Klitzke, who represents northwest Spokane, urged residents in north Spokane to stay off the roads unless they are evacuating. Streets are reportedly packed as folks flee the evacuation zone. Klitzke said Spokane Transit Authority buses were assisting in evacuations.
Spokane County Commissioner Al French, who represents the West Plains and Indian Trails neighborhoods, said the damage left in the wake could be “tragic.”
“If you’re not in the path of the fires, reach out to friends, because a lot of folks are going to need a safe place to reside and hold up in until this risk goes away,” French said. “Be a good neighbor and help your neighbor.”
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels called in all deputies Saturday to assist with door-to-door evacuations, French said. Meanwhile, Chandra Fox, deputy director of emergency management for the county, is coordinating with the state Department of Natural Resources and other agencies to get more wildland firefighters.
Among fire crews called in to help were some from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said she was scheduled to talk to Gov. Bob Ferguson in the 4 o’clock hour.
Wildfire encroaches on city neighborhoods
The Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center is under an evacuation order. Some patients have been transferred, including seven to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and another seven to Holy Family Hospital.
Earlier, residents at Spokane Health and Rehabilitation Home at 6025 N. Assembly St. were being evacuated as residents waited in the shade and grass for evacuation busses.
Cars full of evacuating residents could be seen stretching south along Northwest Boulevard . Smoke is so thick it’s blotting out the sun on North Driscoll Boulevard and West Francis Avenue.
Flames were visible as trees in the dry Riverside State Park erupted in towering flames.
Firefighters assisted by aircraft were attempted to protect neighborhoods.
Wind picked up around noon in Spokane, with 25 to 35 mph gusts blowing toward the east and northeast, said Antoinette Serrato, National Weather Service meteorologist. Those will start to die down around 8 p.m.
The fire quickly spread near Nine Mile Road. Residents near Nine Mile on North Greenwood Boulevard are spraying down their homes and their neighbor’s homes. Some are wetting down firewood outside their house. Theresa Sullivan, who was spraying down her home with a house and her neighbor’s home, said “It’s never been this close before.”
“I never thought it would be up here,” she said. “I’m in shock.”
Those living along Northwest Boulevard congregated along the ledge by the road. Across the Spokane River, flames covered a hillside just miles away.
As cars fled the flames bumper to bumper along for miles, those out of danger watched from picnic blankets.
In 30 years living in Spokane, Michael Keller said he had never seen fire get so close to the city’s core.
“I’ve never seen it this bad. It has never in my life been this close,” he said.
Keller’s wife and adult son had just left to go towards the evacuation zone, hoping to recover items from the empty home of a relative.
“I don’t know if they’ll even get in. They’re trying save we stuff, but I’m really worried about them if they do make it in,” he said.
The fire quickly tore through 350 to 400 acres in the area around West Euclid Road and North Old Trails Road within about an hour and a half of starting, according to the Watch Duty website. Not long after, it spread into Riverside State Park and jumped the Spokane River into the city. Gusts in Airway Heights are forecasted to reach up to 45 mph Saturday.
“Multiple structures are imminently threatened,” according to the website. Firefighters could be seen on the roofs of houses trying to save the homes from burning.
Mandatory evacuations have been expanded from Marchand Road on the north and Trails on the south, and from Lyons on the West and the Spokane River on the east.
Police are barricading the evacuation zone as some residents push back, hoping to be let in to collect their things.
Bob Moore raced up North Government Way Saturday but was intercepted by Spokane Police.
“You got to let me go up there, man,” Moore called from his truck window.
“I can’t let you up there right now,” the officer told him.
“My shop, my house. I need to protect my house,” Moore pleaded.
The officer called around, made an attempt to try and get Moore up to his home. “I’m worried about my stuff.”
“I’m sorry,” the officer told him.
Moore told The Spokesman-Review his wife grabbed their “go-bags” and their dogs and was waiting at the bottom of the hill.
“She called and said ‘You got to come home right now.,’” Moore said as he watched the plume of smoke erupt past Riverside State Park.
Others who were intercepted at the roadblock on North Government Way were crying and pleading with police to let them up the hill. There was nothing police could do, they said.
As of about 1:30 p.m., the blaze had spread into Riverside State Park on the north, according to Watch Duty.
The blaze comes as the National Weather Service on Friday issued a historic first warning for Eastern Washington of “particularly dangerous” weather, which is a step up from the typical red flag warnings the agency issues on hot, dry and windy days.
“This means that new fires will grow rapidly and out of control,” the warning reads. “Be on alert for fire starts and be prepared to evacuate immediately for all fires.”
The weather warning, however, was only meant to be in place from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The less severe red flag warning is in effect from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
A water drop from a helicopter knocks back flames from the Old Trails fire from a home on Euclid on Saturday, Aug 1, 2026, in Spokane, Wash. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Spokesman-Review staffers Alayna Shulman, Jonathan Brunt, Ricky Schodl and Nick Gibson contributed to this article.
