The Old Trail wildfire in Spokane, Wash.

During extreme red flag conditions, multiple wildfires broke out and burned overnight through parts of Spokane, Wash. on Sunday, August 2, 2026. The wildfires leveled over 700 buildings and forced 65,000 people to evacuate. When I arrived early Sunday morning, it looked like a bomb went off.

The police arrested a man who they suspected started the Old Trail wildfire intentionally. No deaths have been reported so far, a huge success for the community’s evacuation response.

Extreme wildfire conditions, like higher temperatures, less snowpack, drought, and drier fuels, are caused by climate change. “That is a war zone,” Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh of the Washington National Guard said.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/02/us/spokane-wildfires.html