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Spokane Fires 43% Contained, Evacuees Return, Arsonist Caught

8/10/2026

Summary

Nowels Allows Returns

Sheriff John Nowels said thousands of evacuees can return home after the three fires stopped growing.
The fires have burned 10,332 acres and are 43% contained on Old Trails, 47% on Autumn Lane, and 31% on Fairview.
Crews built more than 75 miles of line and deployed a monitor delivering 2,000 gallons per minute at Fairview.
A temporary flight restriction remains and city water is safe if residents flush fixtures.

Summary

HHS Declares Emergency

HHS declared a public-health emergency after the Spokane Complex fires' smoke.
Spokane police arrested a local on arson for igniting one of three blazes that burned 10,000 acres.
Three firefighters suffered burns during mop-up, with one requiring two hospitalizations and burn-center treatment.
A red-flag warning for Washington forecasts gusts up to 25 mph and 92 °F Saturday and warns that smoke will keep air quality poor with haze moving toward the Plains.

History

Historical Context

During the severe 1988 Yellowstone fires, 36 % of the park burned and nearly 9,600 firefighters were deployed, prompting the 1992 National Fire Plan that unified federal agencies on wildfire response. That framework now guides the inter-agency evacuation and public-health actions taken for Washington’s 2024 Spokane Complex fires, which have scorched more than 10,000 acres.

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Nowels Allows Returns

Sheriff John Nowels said thousands of evacuees can return home after the three fires stopped growing.
The fires have burned 10,332 acres and are 43% contained on Old Trails, 47% on Autumn Lane, and 31% on Fairview.
Crews built more than 75 miles of line and deployed a monitor delivering 2,000 gallons per minute at Fairview.
A temporary flight restriction remains and city water is safe if residents flush fixtures.

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