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More than 65,000 people have evacuated their homes in the northwestern U.S. state of Washington as multiple wildfires continue to tear across the region, leaving firefighters battling several fast-moving blazes with no containment.
Preliminary assessments showed the fires had already destroyed more than 700 homes, most of them in Spokane County. Authorities arrested a man on a first-degree arson charge in connection with the Old Trails Fire, one of the several fires threatening the area, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels told reporters.
The Spokane Complex Fire Incident Management Team reported that improving weather conditions were helping crews strengthen fire lines.
However, the fires near Spokane and Stevens counties had burned 8,026 acres (3,248 hectares) since igniting on Saturday and remained 0% contained, according to InciWeb, the U.S. interagency wildfire information system.
Separate reports indicated aerial surveys found between 700 and 1,110 structures had been lost since the fires broke out over the weekend, while firefighters used cooler temperatures, higher humidity and dense smoke to make significant progress on two of the three Spokane-area fires. No injuries had been reported.
Elsewhere in the state, the Sinlahekin Fire has expanded to 85,000 acres after being sparked by lightning on July 26. More than 820 personnel are fighting the blaze, which also remains uncontained.
The Little Giant Fire, burning northwest of Leavenworth in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, has scorched 51,298 acres.
Officials are also trying to reach 14 people who have not responded to cellphone contact, although they have not been listed as missing.
Mayor Lisa Brown said emergency crews were inspecting neighborhoods block by block for damage and flare-ups, warning that some residents may not be able to return for weeks depending on where they live.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson described the disaster as likely the worst natural disaster in Spokane's history and declared a state of emergency on Aug. 1.
The Washington Department of Natural Resources reported that 16 major wildfires were burning across the state, covering about 262,000 acres. The largest Spokane-area blaze, the Old Trails Fire, crossed the Spokane River on Saturday and spread into the city.
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