Firefighters start to contain Washington state wildfires as tens of thousands remain displaced

Key Points:

• Firefighters have established containment lines around three wildfires near Spokane, Washington, which have displaced about 67,000 people and destroyed approximately 850 buildings, but hotter and drier weather is expected to increase fire risks.
• One fire, the Old Trails Fire, was deliberately set by a man arrested and charged with arson, while the other two fires are under investigation and were likely started by people but not necessarily intentionally.
• Evacuation zones around Spokane remain in place due to ongoing fire danger, with many evacuees staying in shelters, hotels, or with relatives, uncertain about when or if they can return home.
• Washington is battling 16 uncontained wildfires covering over 672 square miles, involving more than 7,000 firefighting personnel, amid one of the worst fire seasons in the state's history.
• In California, a 65-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing a major wildfire by recklessly operating equipment, with prosecutors deciding on potential criminal charges for the blaze that burned nearly 15 square miles in Calaveras County.