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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Spokane area fires say? "We're blazing a trail.

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Spokane area fires
Part of 2026 Washington wildfires
Task Force Utah members on the Autumn Lane fire
Date
  • August 1, 2026
LocationSpokane County, Washington, United States
Coordinates47°39′32″N 117°25′30″W / 47.659°N 117.425°W / 47.659; -117.425
Statistics
StatusOngoing wildfire
Perimeter37% (Old Trails) 23% (Autumn Lane) 31% (Fairview) contained as of
August 7, 2026
Burned area10,363 acres (4,194 ha; 16 sq mi; 42 km2) cumulative
Impacts
Evacuated65,000
Structures destroyedc. 846[1]
Ignition
CauseArson (Old Trails)[2]
Under investigation (Autumn Trail & Fairview)[3]
Map
Map
Perimeter of 2026 Spokane Complex Fire (map data)

The Spokane area fires are a group of three related ongoing wildfires in the greater Spokane area of Spokane County, Washington. The fires are the Old Trails Fire, Autumn Lane Fire, and the Fairview Fire, all of which were started on August 1, 2026 via arson. The National Weather Service had issued a Red Flag Warning, with Washington state's first "particularly dangerous situation" flag, for regions of Eastern Washington including the Spokane area. Sustained winds and dry conditions allowed the three fires to all rapidly grow and spread in an eastern direction from the areas of ignition, with the Old Trails fire burning into north Spokane neighborhoods.

Background conditions

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In the spring, the City of Spokane has run voluntary wildfire evacuation practice drills for selected neighboorhoods. On May 3, 2025 the Thorpe and Grandview neighborhoods drilled, while the Latah Hangman plus Eagle Ridge neighborhoods drilled on April, 25, 2026. Supported by multiple city agencies, the objectives included helping residents familiarize with evacuation routes, identifying obstacles during evacuation, and empowering quick and confident actions from citizens.[4] The 2026 after action report for the drill conclusions detailed that while participants generally worked together and cooperated, evacuation was hindered by the number of egress routes available and formation of congestion. Additionally the notifications systems, while adequate, worked best with redundancy between Wireless Emergency Alerts and the newly implemented Alert Spokane system. Enrollment was needed for the new system, while the public push notifications from the Wireless Emergency Alert system was only partially received in the drill area.[5][6]

By late July, Washington state was already in one of the worst fire seasons on record, with a number of major wildfires burning across the state. By the last week of July over 1,000 fires had burned in the state, with an estimated 425,000 acres (664 sq mi) of damaged lands, making it the most burnt acreage since the 2021 fire season. Twelve large fires encompassing 200,000 acres (310 sq mi) were burning as of July 31.[7]

In the preceding week an intense heat dome was present over a large portion of the western United States, bringing high temperatures and dry conditions to the Spokane area. In combination with the existing conditions, forecasts predicted the possibility of "historically strong winds" on August 1.[8] At noon on August 1, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency given the extreme conditions and large fires already burning statewide and the National Weather Service issuing its first-ever "particularly dangerous situation" Red Flag Warning for Central and Eastern Washington.[9] The "particularly dangerous situation" flag is a rarely issued warning used by the National weather service for the most extreme fire condition scenarios.[8] Based on the recommendations from the two spring wildfire drills, Spokane actively spread the emphasized the issued weather and fire warnings to alert as much of the population as possible.[6]

Fires

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The large smoke plume seen from the nearby KOTX NEXRAD doppler radar.

The Old Trails Fire, Autumn Lane Fire, and the related Fairview Fire have also been called the Spokane Complex Fire in media reports,[10][11][12] with the California Interagency Incident Management Team 7 (CIIMT 7), a specialized federal unit, as the lead agency and headed by Tom Clemo.[13] CIIMT 7 offically refer to the fires as the Spokane area fires, rather than a complex, and provide news releases detailing each fire.[14] The fire's scale is such that it has has received international coverage.[15][16][17][18][19]

The Old Trails Fire spread to just over 3,500 acres (1,416 ha) on August 1,[20] with the rapid growth driven by sustained winds of 35–40-mile-per-hour (56–64 km/h).

The Autumn Lane brush fire northwest of Spokane, by Monday afternoon, August 3, 2026, had burned more than 5,600 acres (2,300 ha) on Spokane and Stevens County.[21] As of August 5, 2026, firefighters estimated that both the Old Trails fire and the Autumn Lane were 13% contained.[22][23]

In the northeastern area of Spokane, the Fairview Fire moved though several neighborhoods and progressed towards Mead. The fire burned though the Pleasant Valley Stables, home to the Showbiz Riding School, though no horses were lost to the fire. The area to between the fire perimeter and Mead is classified as a wildland–urban interface containing ladder fuels such as long grass and low tree limbs providing routes for fires to transition from low grass burns into the tree tops.[24]

Progression

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Burned neighborhood in the Old Trails Fire zone

The Old Trails fire started west of Spokane around 12 p.m. PDT on August 1 near the city of Airway Heights. Given the abundance of fuel and winds up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), the fire grew rapidly and jumped the Spokane River.[25][26] At 3:30 a Level 3 (mandatory) evacuation was issued in Spokane affecting thousands of people. By 5:20, multiple homes were fully involved, and explosions occurred in the Indian Trail Neighborhood. 40,000 people in Spokane were without power, many as a precautionary measure.[27]

As of early Sunday morning August 2, 640 structures were confirmed impacted, mostly in Spokane proper,[28] and the VA hospital had been evacuated.[27]

By late Monday afternoon, August 3, the Autumn Lane fire had grown to 1,000 acres (400 ha) to become the single largest fire of the group.[29] 65,000 people had been evacuated from Spokane and environs, 700 homes had been confirmed destroyed, and some 900 firefighters were working the Spokane fires; over 5000 were responding to 15 fires throughout the state.[30] In total the Spokane fires had burned 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2).[31]

By the morning of August 7, perimeters had been partially established around all three fires, with the incident management team reporting 37% around the Autumn Lane Fire, 31% on the Fairview fire, and 23% for the Old Trails Fire. They also placed the estimated total number of structures destroyed at 846. The three fires had over 1,500 personal assigned to them including over 100 federal, state, and local organizations from across 24 states[1][32] The calm weather over on August 6 resulted in no new growth on any of the fires, and allowed crews to rapidly build the fire perimeters. Crews were also deployed to the areas directly perimeter adjacent to conduct "aggressive" mop-up operations, dealing with hot-spots, and areas at risk of flair-ups. This was in preparation for critical fire weather with a red flag warning issued for August 7-8.[1]

Due to the increasing size of the command and unit numbers, the command post was formally moved to the Spokane Fair Grounds, which were also open for livestock evacuees and RVs for families with animals or pets. Two major evacuation shelters were in operation, in the Spokane Convention Center within Spokane county and at Jenkins High School in Chewelah for Stevens County.[1]


Evacuation and closures

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Mop-up crew working in the Fairview burn

Following lessons from the spring evacuation drills, National Guard troops and police officers were immediately deployed to the areas in danger, spreading the evacuation notice in person, directing traffic, and opening emergency shelters outside the impacted areas.[6] The Spokane Veterans Health Administration hospital and its Spokane satellite facilities were evacuated on August 1.[33] Based on the forewarning from the city, the hospital had readied staff and patients for evacuation to other facilities or to shelters.[6] The same day, people sheltering at Spokane Falls Community College were moved to the Spokane Convention Center when power was lost.[34] Fairchild Air Force Base issued a "limited evacuation order for military personnel, civilian employees and families" who were in designated evacuation zones.[35][36] On August 3, 2026, Spokane Superior, District and Municipal Courts issued an emergency order to shut down certain court operations and continue jury trials to August 10.[37]

Aftermath

[edit]

Due to the nature of an urban fire like this, a number of hazardous materials are suspected to be present in the burn zones and are likely to be a danger to anyone coming in contact with them. Incident command deployed a number of Hazardous Materials Specialists into the Level 3 evacuation zones on August 7. The goal was to preform comprehensive assessment of the materials within the zones.[1]

Suspect

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On August 3 after initial questioning and further investigation Aaron Farinacci was arrested[38] and charged with first-degree arson. The probable cause affidavit filed in Spokane County Superior Court states that the fire investigator "determined the cause of the fire was consistent with an open flame to vegetation such as would be expected by a lighter or a match."[39] His bail, set at $1,000,000, was later raised to $2,000,000.[40][41][42] On August 6 confessed to having had set more than 25 fires since 2025, regarding fire as "beautiful", "powerful", and a means of "rebirth", and said that had researched the circumstances which would cause maximum damage. He had also studied the criminal carreer of John Leonard Orr. (Faranacci had begun his arson near his apartment complex after the May 2026 birth of his son lead to "life issues" and his smoking marijuana. The latter also provided a reason for his carrying a lighter.)[43] He was, as one detective who interviewed noted, calm and intelligent, detailed, and "...“knowledgeable about fire, winds, and fire warning protocol."[40][44] He told investigators he specifically waited for a hot and windy day to set the fires.[45]

In 2012, Farinacci was charged with the 2010 murder of his adoptive[46] father.[31][47] He ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was released in December 2020.[39]

Panorama of the Old Trails Fire (middle left) and Fairview Fire (middle) viewed from near Spokane Valley August 1

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Spokane Area Fires 08-07-2026". Inciweb fire information system. U.S. Government interagency National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  2. ↑ KREM Staff (August 6, 2026). "Court records: Arson suspect admits to setting Old Trails Fire, 25 other fires since last summer". KREM2.
  3. ↑ Pentasuglio, Julia (August 6, 2026). "'They want an answer': Dispelling conspiracy theories plaguing the Spokane Complex fires". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  4. ↑ Hut, Erin (April 28, 2025). "Wildfire Evacuation Drill Planned for Grandview/Thorpe Neighborhood". Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  5. ↑ Latah Hangman/Eagle Ridge Neighborhood Wildfire Evacuation Drill: After Action Report & Improvement Plan 2026 (PDF) (Report).
  6. 1 2 3 4 Bosa, Ashley (August 6, 2026). "Just weeks before devastating wildfires hit, Spokane practiced a mass evacuation – the drill paid off". preventionweb.net. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and The Conversation Media Group.
  7. ↑ Poirier, Carly (August 1, 2026). "Governor Ferguson declares statewide wildfire emergency". Krem2. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Freedman, Andrew; Faheid, Dalia; Nelson, Kara; Balleste, Emma (August 2, 2026). "Western US heat dome brings dangerously hot temperatures to tens of millions". CNN. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  9. ↑ Bennett, Olivia (August 2, 2026). "Fast-Moving Old Trails Fire Forces Mass Evacuations and State of Emergency in Washington". JQJO.com. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  10. ↑ Randolph, Mary (August 3, 2026). "Washington's wildfires are a warning for the entire U.S.: Dry conditions and climate change are putting forests across the country at risk for disaster". Scientific American. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  11. ↑ Seattle Times staff (August 2, 2026). "Trio of wildfires described as 'worst natural disaster' Spokane has faced". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  12. ↑ Grant, Natalie (August 2, 2026). "Spokane Complex Fire devastates Indian Trail neighborhood in northwest Spokane". KXLY.
  13. ↑ Rambaldi, Camilla (August 2, 2026). "Southern California sends resources to fight fast-moving wildfires in Washington". NBC Los Angeles.
  14. ↑ "Spokane area fires". Inciweb fire information system. U.S. Government interagency National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  15. ↑ "حرائق غابات بأمريكا تدمر 700 مبنى وتدفع 64 ألف شخص للنزوح" [US wildfires destroy 700 buildings and displace 64,000 people]. Al-Jazeera (in Arabic).
  16. ↑ "野火扩散 华州斯波坎5000居民撤离". 世界新闻网 (in Chinese).
  17. ↑ "Incendies dans le nord-ouest des Etats-Unis: un homme soupçonné d'avoir provoqué l'un des feux dévastateurs de Spokane arrêté". August 5, 2026 – via Le Monde.
  18. ↑ उपाध्याय, अमन (August 4, 2026). "देखते ही देखते अमेरिका में राख बन गए 700 घर, वॉशिंगटन पुलिस ने एक आरोपी को दबोचा; 67 हजार लोग बेघर". Navbharat Live.
  19. ↑ Afp, Efe (August 2, 2026). "Emergencia en EE. UU.: voraces incendios arrasan la ciudad de Spokane y obligan a evacuaciones masivas" [Emergency in EU and U.S.: Voracious fire lays waste to city of Spokane and necessitates mass evacuation]. El Tiempo (in Spanish).
  20. ↑ Salhotra, Pooja (August 2, 2026). "Wildfires in Spokane, Wash., Force Thousands to Evacuate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  21. ↑ Team, FOX 13 Seattle Digital (August 1, 2026). "Wildfire burning in Spokane, WA prompts evacuation orders". FOX 13 Seattle.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ "Maps: Where are the wildfires burning in Spokane County?". KREM. August 2, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  23. ↑ King, Rob (August 5, 2026). "Firefighters gain some containment on all three Spokane wildfires". KXLY. Archived from the original on August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  24. ↑ Callaghan, Mathew (August 2, 2026). "'Just smoke and ash and fire': Crews make progress battling Fairview fire near Mead". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Spokane in Washington: Brände bedrohen US-Großstadt". news.ORF.at (in German). August 2, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Wind-driven wildfire prompts evacuations in eastern Washington". AP News. Associated Press. August 2, 2026. Archived from the original on August 2, 2026. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  27. 1 2 "'When the sun rises, we are going to be in shock': Thousands evacuated in north Spokane as wildfire crosses river into city". The Spokesman-Review. August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  28. ↑ "'The top fire in our nation': Old Trails destroys 640 structures as 'potential for lives to be lost' remains". The Spokesman-Review. August 2, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  29. ↑ Duggan, Alexandra; Pentasuglio, Julia (August 3, 2026). "Autumn Lane fire, now the largest in the Spokane Complex after growing 1,000 acres Sunday night". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  30. ↑ Herda, Lexi (August 3, 2026). "Spokane Complex Fires: 700 homes destroyed, 65K evacuated". KIRO 7 News Seattle.
  31. 1 2 Koch, Mitchell; Press, The Associated; staff, Gray News (August 4, 2026). "Man who killed father in Mesa suspected of starting Washington wildfire". AZFamily. Phoenix, Arizona: KTVK.
  32. ↑ "Over 1,500 firefighters deployed to battle Washington state fires". Anadolu. August 6, 2026.
  33. ↑ Shannon Moudy (August 3, 2026). "Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center closed through at least August 4". Spoane: KREM-TV.
  34. ↑ Pentasuglio, Julia (August 2, 2026). "'It really is that bad': Spokane Convention Center shelter becomes oasis for fire evacuees". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, WA.
  35. ↑ Meridith Depping; Mazie McNamara; Daniel Fortin; Mark Rattner (August 4, 2026). "'A tremendous tragedy': thousands evacuated, hundreds of structures destroyed in Spokane Area Fires". Spokane: KHQ-TV.
  36. ↑ Gary Warner (August 3, 2026). "Major wildfires force evacuations at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane". Stars and Stripes. Washington, D.C.
  37. ↑ "State of Emergency Services Updates". Spokane County official website. August 3, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Spokane County Court Viewer". cp.spokanecounty.org.
  39. 1 2 Tsui, Karina; Yan, Holly; Boyette, Chris; Von Quednow, Cindy (August 4, 2026). "Man charged with arson in 1 of 3 wildfires torching Washington's Spokane area". CNN. Archived from the original on August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  40. 1 2 Tucker, Emma (August 6, 2026). "Alleged arsonist admits to starting one Spokane wildfire and more than two dozen others since last year, prosecutors say". CNN. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  41. ↑ KOMO News Staff (August 4, 2026). "Spokane man arrested on first-degree arson charge in Old Trails Fire". KOMO. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Detention Services - Inmate Roster". cp.spokanecounty.org.
  43. ↑ "Court docs: Spokane arson suspect told police he set 25 fires over the past year". opb.
  44. ↑ "Après les incendies dans le nord-ouest des Etats-Unis, un suspect avoue avoir planifié vingt-cinq départs de feu depuis 2025" (in French). August 7, 2026 – via Le Monde.
  45. ↑ Matza, Max; Venkatraman, Sakshi (August 6, 2026). "Spokane wildfire arson suspect waited for dry, windy day to start blaze, police say". BBC. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
  46. ↑ Jacobs, Shayna; Grinberg, Emanuella (August 4, 2026). "Court records detail troubled past of Spokane fire suspect". NBC News. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  47. ↑ Luck, Melissa (August 3, 2026). "Convicted felon arrested for arson in connection with massive Spokane wildfire". KXLY kxly.com. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
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