Live updates: Washington wildfires in Spokane County; hundreds of structures destroyed

Key Points:

• Wildfires in Spokane County, Washington, have destroyed hundreds of structures and prompted Level 3 evacuation orders, with thousands of residents displaced and a shelter opened at a local community college.
• A specialized incident management team of about 130 responders from California, experienced in major disasters like the Palisades and Camp fires, joined local firefighters to combat three major active fires, including the largest Old Trails Fire, which has burned over 3,000 acres and threatens up to 5,000 structures.
• Weather conditions have improved from extreme fire weather on Saturday, with reduced wind speeds and cooler temperatures lowering—but not eliminating—the fire risk; however, smoke from regional wildfires, including those in British Columbia, is expected to degrade air quality through midweek.
• Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide state of emergency and burn ban amid the ongoing fourth consecutive statewide drought, as more than 1,000 fires have burned approximately 425,000 acres this year, marking the most acreage burned since 2021.
• The wildfire season in the U.S. has been historically destructive, driven by climate change, drought, low snowpack, and dry, windy conditions, contributing to rapid fire spread and significant property losses across multiple states.