‘Widespread destruction’: On the ground in Spokane

The Spokane Area Fires Complex has destroyed more than 600 structures, including homes, and forced thousands of residents to evacuate their properties.

Three fires near Spokane, known as the Spokane Area Fires Complex, have caused widespread destruction across the eastern side of the region.

Mayor Lisa Brown recently addressed the scale of the destruction during a briefing on the emergency response.

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“We are here today to discuss really the worst natural disaster our region has faced,” Brown said. Gov. Bob Ferguson noted the immediate impact on residents, stating, “Just in a matter of hours their lives changed in deeply dramatic and fundamental ways.”

Bradley Warren, a reporter and anchor for KHQ, was among those to evacuate while reporting on the fires. He had to quickly gather belongings from his home as the flames approached.

“I grabbed my passport, my computer, and I grabbed an envelope I think that has my birth certificate in it,” Warren said. When asked how he processed the experience of facing the same displacement as the people he interviews, Warren described it as a “helpless feeling for sure.”

Warren reported that while his own house is currently safe, he is uncertain about the status of nearby properties. The fire moved along the backside of his home toward the area where his sister lives. Warren said he does not currently know what her house or neighborhood looks like following the fire’s passage through that section.

“But this fire is real,” Warren said. “I mean, I watched houses burn.” Warren urged members of the public to take evacuation orders seriously when they are issued. “We watched at least three homes go up,” Warren said. “So, there is no point. Please leave and do not get injured.”

“It’s just widespread destruction,” he said, describing the scene on the ground.

Information on ways to assist those affected by the wildfires is available on the KIRO 7 website.