re: Potential high impact wildfire just NW of Spokane, WA. Neighborhoods already impacted

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live here and am in the evacuation zone. already headed east with my dog and important stuff

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Do you need help? Am on south hill, close enough, but I doubt the fire comes this far.

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I live here and am in the evacuation zone. already headed east with my dog and important stuff

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Download the Watch Duty app if you haven't already. The free version of it gives you all you need.

ETA: The fire is now over 3,500 acres.

The PNW doesn't have to worry about tornadoes nor hurricanes, but dang it if I would want to worry about massive wildfires.

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I'm still right on the edge of the evacuations. Hopefully the winds changing to push east doesn't make an already bad situation worse.

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As the low and associated front continue to crawl from the west to the east the wind direction should shift more out of the north. That's the big waiting game with these fires that start with a dry front. That shift probably won't fully happen until sometime Monday. When it does, the fire direction will change, putting different areas at risk, also putting fire crews at risk if the wind shift is abruptly and strong enough.

It was reported yesterday that the fire possibly started from a vehicle fire. Now, it seems like it was caused by a train passing through. The initial reported start location and where firefighters first started trying to control it is right by train tracks.



This is supposed to be the first radio traffic about the fire.

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I’m in SW Washington, watching from afar. Glad to be near the gorge and the Columbia R.

The Autumn Lane Fire to the NW of the Old Trails Fire has also crossed the Spokane River overnight/this morning and is forcing a bunch more evacuations. It is now over 3,300 acres and seems to be more active than the Old Trails Fire, or at least getting more updates so far today.

That's a combined nearly 7,000 acres burned in around 24 hours. Add in the Fairview Fire just to the east and it is almost 8,000 acres.

ETA: No fatalities have been officially reported, but it has been reported that going by radio traffic fatalities are expected.

Usually with these fires it is the elderly and the sick/infirm who make up the bulk of the deaths. Hopefully, there are none.

At least their getting some rain to help control it

got a lot of good friends in Spokane, spent last Christmas there and across the Idaho state line

keeping a wary eye on this one

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I should’ve used the sarcasm font

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My bad.
That was a tough one, though.