Gov. Bob Ferguson was en route to Spokane on Sunday morning to meet with first responders and monitor a goriwung wildfire crisis after declaring a statewide eme
Gov. Bob Ferguson arrived in Spokane on Sunday afternoon to meet with first responders and monitor a growing wildfire crisis after declaring a statewide emergency and imposing a burn ban amid record drought, strong winds and rapidly spreading fires.
Ferguson held a news conference at 2 p.m.
Ferguson called the situation an “unprecedented catastrophe” and said he expects a large response.
Ferguson said he has spoken with President Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
About 5,000 homes and 60,000 people have been evacuated as firefighters work to contain the fires, and authorities have opened an evacuation shelter at the Spokane Convention Center. Officials continue to report more than 600 structures damaged or destroyed, though they cannot yet break down how many are homes, businesses, schools or other buildings.
No deaths have been reported.
The Spokane County Fairgrounds is also available as a shelter for people with livestock.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Gov. Bob Ferguson declares statewide emergency as Spokane-area wildfires spread
Northwest of downtown Spokane, a complex of three fires — the Old Trails Fire, Fairview Fire and Autumn Lane Fire — has prompted evacuations and reports of widespread damage.
Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency Saturday and imposed a statewide ban on most outdoor and agricultural burning through Sept. 30 as record drought, high temperatures and strong winds fuel dangerous fire conditions across Washington.
The emergency proclamation came ahead of what the National Weather Service called a “particularly dangerous situation” Red Flag Warning across much of Eastern Washington. Forecasters expected sustained southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph Saturday afternoon and evening, and officials warned any new fire could spread rapidly under extreme conditions.
“Our record-setting drought and high winds are creating dangerous conditions across the state,” Ferguson said in a statement. “I am declaring an emergency to help prevent loss of life and property damage.”
Washington is experiencing its fourth consecutive statewide drought. More than 1,000 wildfires have burned about 425,000 acres so far this year as of Saturday afternoon, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
The proclamation bans outdoor burning activities including yard debris burning, trash burning, land clearing, weed abatement and bonfires. Campfires are prohibited unless they are contained in approved fire rings or fire pits. Gas- and liquid-fueled grills and stoves remain allowed if used over nonflammable surfaces and away from vegetation.
The emergency declaration also allows Washington to request additional firefighting resources. Ferguson activated 100 National Guard members Friday to support firefighting efforts, adding to 27 helicopter crew members already deployed.
"As a quick-moving wildfire moved into Spokane, we activated 100 members to support local response efforts. Guard members have begun coordinating with emergency management partners while Soldiers and Airmen provide traffic control and other support as needed," the National Guard said.
More than 100 Washington National Guard Soldiers and Airmen completed equipment issue and final preparations before deploying from Plain Base Camp to begin wildfire hand crew operations.
Since aviation operations began, our crews have now dropped 1,089 buckets and 923,856 gallons of water in 137 flight hours.
The Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office mobilized 13 firefighting task forces, with crews assigned to the Sinlahekin, Bradeen Hill, Kaiser Canyon and Little Giant fires. Another task force is staging in Kittitas County in anticipation of new fire starts.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs on Sunday morning. FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) make funding available to pay up to 75 percent of a state’s eligible firefighting costs for fires that threaten to become major disasters.
Eligible items can include expenses for field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies, and mobilization and demobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
