Spokane wildfires

Spokane wildfire containment rises sharply as 774 structure losses remain

The 11 August national situation report put the Old Trails fire at 73 percent containment, Autumn Lane at 89 percent and Fairview at 97 percent, with 774 structure losses unchanged.

By AidWorkers News Desk
Developing

Containment rose sharply by 11 August, but evacuations and area, road and trail closures remained for Old Trails and Autumn Lane.

Latest updates
The latest

Containment rises sharply across all three Spokane fires

The National Interagency Coordination Center reported on 11 August that Old Trails was at 3,176 acres and 73 percent containment, Autumn Lane at 5,764 acres and 89 percent containment, and Fairview at 992 acres and 97 percent containment.

The three fires had burned a combined 9,932 acres. The official structure-loss total was unchanged at 774, including 569 at Old Trails, 149 at Autumn Lane and 56 at Fairview.

Old Trails and Autumn Lane still had evacuations and area, road and trail closures in effect. Fairview showed minimal fire behaviour, reflecting substantial progress while recovery needs continued.

About 60,000 people had been reported evacuated at the height of the emergency on 3 August. The American Red Cross operated shelters and maintained an active disaster-relief response for people forced from their homes.

774structures lostOfficial report, 11 August
9,932acres burnedUpdated mapping
73%Old Trails contained11 August, 07:30 MDT
89%Autumn Lane containedFairview reached 97 percent
Humanitarian impact

Housing loss and displacement continue as crews secure the fires

Residents face immediate shelter needs and a longer recovery shaped by lost homes, smoke, damaged services and continuing access restrictions.

Shelter

People whose homes were destroyed or remain inside restricted areas need safe accommodation, essential items and reliable local guidance.

Health and air quality

Smoke exposure, heat and evacuation stress can place older people, children and residents with existing health conditions at greater risk.

Critical infrastructure

Incident reports continued to list residences and infrastructure as threatened, requiring active protection and service-continuity planning.

Long-term recovery

The loss of hundreds of structures creates continuing needs for housing, household goods, documentation, insurance support and community rebuilding.

Timeline

How the emergency has developed

Containment rises sharply across the three fires

The National Interagency Coordination Center reports Old Trails at 73 percent containment, Autumn Lane at 89 percent and Fairview at 97 percent. Structure losses remain 774, while evacuations and closures continue at Old Trails and Autumn Lane.

Containment improves across all three fires

The National Interagency Coordination Center records 9,944 acres burned and 774 structures lost. Old Trails and Fairview reach 53 percent containment, while Autumn Lane reaches 73 percent.

Containment rises while closures continue

The official situation report lists moderate fire behaviour, ongoing evacuations and continuing threats to residences and critical infrastructure.

Containment lines strengthen

Containment improves across the Old Trails, Autumn Lane and Fairview fires, while evacuation measures and closures remain in place.

Official report records 707 structure losses

All three fires remain uncontained in the morning situation report, with evacuations and closures continuing as crews establish perimeter lines.

Mass evacuations continue

It is reported that around 60,000 people have evacuated as the three major fires threaten communities across the Spokane area.

Washington declares a statewide wildfire emergency

The Governor mobilises state resources as dangerous conditions and active fires threaten communities, homes and infrastructure.

What happens next

Fire control and community recovery will continue together

Containment figures may continue to rise, but residents will still need support as closures lift and the full extent of losses becomes clearer.

Completing containment

Crews will continue strengthening fire lines and monitoring weather that could increase fire activity.

Safe return

Local authorities will determine when evacuation zones and road closures can be reduced safely.

Housing assistance

Families with destroyed homes will need sustained accommodation and recovery support beyond the immediate shelter phase.

Correcting records

Acreage and structure totals can change as mapping improves and incident reports reconcile field assessments.

Sources

Information used in this report

National Interagency Coordination Center; National Interagency Fire Center; Spokane County Emergency Management; Spokane Regional Emergency Communications; Office of the Governor of Washington; American Red Cross; and credible reporting.