Wildfires that broke out in the Spokane, Wash., area the afternoon of Aug. 1 prompted mass evacuations affecting an estimated 60,000 residents, and forced hospital and clinic closures across the region, according to reporting from The New York Times and live local updates from NBC affiliate KHQ.
Here are six things to know:
1. The scale of the disaster. Three fires — the Old Trails Fire, Autumn Lane Fire and Fairview Fire — are being managed as one complex called the Spokane Area Fires. As of Aug. 2, the fires had burned more than 5,390 acres, with preliminary estimates putting destroyed structures at more than 640 and the final count expected to be higher, according to KHQ. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown called it “the worst natural disaster our region has faced.”
2. The Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center closed. The Spokane VA Medical Center shut down under emergency evacuation orders and remained closed through at least Aug. 3-4, as did VA outpatient clinics and business operation centers across the Spokane area, according to a statement on the VA’s Facebook page. Patients requiring ongoing medical care were transported to area hospitals; more than 20 other veteran patients were moved to nearby schools and shelters with VA staff. “All evacuated VA patients remain under the care of our local hospital partners,” the VA said.
3. MultiCare kept its main hospitals open but closed three sites and faced significant staffing strain. Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System’s Deaconess and Valley hospitals in Spokane remained open, according to a statement shared with Becker’s. Three MultiCare locations fell within evacuation zones and closed Aug. 3: MultiCare Emergency – Deaconess North on N. Division Street, MultiCare Rockwood Primary Care – Northwest Spokane on W. Lowell Avenue and the MultiCare Cancer Institute on E. Farewell Road. Affected patients were contacted to reschedule at other locations.
In a separate statement to Becker’s, a MultiCare spokesperson said more than 650 employees were in evacuation zones throughout Spokane County as of Aug. 2, and that staffing would be “limited across the Inland Northwest due to the magnitude of this event.” Some Deaconess North staff had moved to other MultiCare emergency departments to provide additional support, the spokesperson said. MultiCare was also providing financial assistance and other support to displaced employees.
4. Providence mobilized systemwide support for Spokane caregivers. Erik Wexler, president and CEO of Renton, Wash.-based Providence, which includes Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, said in an Aug. 2 LinkedIn post that the health system’s hospitals “are open, prepared and committed to meeting the needs of patients and families.” Mr. Wexler said he was “grateful” for staff who were “caring for others while also concerned about your own homes, neighbors and loved ones,” and said Providence would “marshal the full resources of our system to assist in any way needed.” In a message to Inland Northwest Washington caregivers shared with Becker’s, Providence Central Division Chief Executive Joel Gilbertson and other local leaders said Providence’s incident command center and HR teams had activated resources for affected employees.
5. Washington’s governor declared a statewide emergency and burn ban. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency Aug. 1 and issued a statewide prohibition on most outdoor and agricultural burning through Sept. 30, according to an Aug. 1 news release from his office. The declaration came ahead of a “particularly dangerous situation” Red Flag Alert from the National Weather Service rating weather risk as “extreme” across eastern Washington. Washington is in its fourth consecutive statewide drought, and more than 1,000 fires have burned approximately 425,000 acres statewide — the most since 2021, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. The declaration also authorized additional National Guard activation and allowed Washington to access resources through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a nationwide mutual aid system. The Federal Emergency Management Agency separately approved fire management assistance grants to help cover eligible firefighting costs, according to KHQ.
6. Air quality is expected to remain poor through midweek. The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency rated air quality “very unhealthy” — a numeric value of 201-300 — as of the morning of Aug. 3, with the same rating forecast for Aug. 4, according to the agency’s air quality dashboard. The agency said the smoke is expected to accumulate rather than disperse due to weak winds and a building area of high pressure over the region, with pollution drifting in from wildfires in Washington and British Columbia. The agency said poor air quality is likely to persist in the Spokane area through at least Aug. 5. The National Weather Service’s Seattle office said Aug. 2 that wildfire smoke would linger aloft over the region into Aug. 3, producing hazy skies, with smoke potentially settling to ground level Aug. 3-4, according to a Facebook post by the service.
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