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Firefighters are working 16-hour shifts as they battle the Spokane Complex Fire
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Over 1,500 firefighters from 24 states are battling the Spokane Complex Fire in Washington, which has damaged or destroyed nearly 850 structures and displaced about 67,000 people, with no deaths reported so far.
- The fire, consisting of three separate blazes, has burned 10,546 acres and is showing signs of containment, with the Old Trails and Autumn Lane fires 13% contained and the Fairview Fire 5% contained.
- Firefighters are working 16-hour shifts on a "search and destroy" mission to extinguish hot spots, despite challenging conditions including rising temperatures and previous drone interference that grounded aerial firefighting efforts.
- Authorities have charged Aaron Farinacci, 37, with first-degree arson for allegedly starting the Old Trails Fire; investigations into the causes of the other fires are ongoing with no additional arrests made.
- The Spokane Complex Fire is considered one of the most destructive in Washington state history, surpassing previous fires that destroyed fewer structures.
