Blaze burns nearly 4 square miles; cause under investigation
Strong winds and high temperatures drove the Old Trails Fire across northwest Spokane on Saturday, carrying it from a patch of brush and grass in an open area toward residential neighborhoods. The fire jumped the Spokane River and prompted the evacuation of thousands of people.
Cars lined the roads as residents fled their homes, and orange and red flames were visible from the highway. A plume of smoke billowed over the region.
Courtney James, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, said almost 4 square miles (10 square kilometers) of terrain had been burned as of Saturday evening. The cause was under investigation.
“We urge residents of Spokane to heed evacuation orders and to stay alert to changing conditions and evacuations as they are rapidly changing,” James said.