The Albany Gazette - Wildfires raze neighborhoods in US northwest city of Spokane

Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes over the weekend as three separate fires broke out in and around the city in the east of Washington state.

The National Weather Service (NWS) had warned of "extremely critical fire weather conditions" in the area due to strong winds and exceptional dryness.

Video of the aftermath on Sunday showed scores of homes burned to the ground, with only their brick fireplaces and foundations remaining, while other houses nearby escaped practically unscathed.

"Just driving around looking at the homes -- it's just one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen in my life," Spokane resident Geoff Beadles told AFP, after evacuating from his home with his fiancee and two dogs.

Mayor Lisa Brown told a press briefing Sunday afternoon: "Hundreds of homes and structures have been lost. We are still assessing the potential for lives to be lost."

"To the people who are suffering right now in our region from either loss or uncertainty... our hearts go out to you. We are here for you for the long term," she said.

Fire officials said late Sunday that the blazes were still zero-percent contained.

And while more favorable weather, with only light winds, was forecast for Monday, temperatures were expected to rise again later in the week.

Smoke accumulating over the city would likely render air quality "very unhealthy" on Monday, the regional clear air agency said.

Sheriff John Nowels said no deaths or injuries had so far been reported, but "because of the scale of this and what it takes to... do those kinds of investigations in an active fire scene, that could change."

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, who declared a state of emergency, said the state is enduring a fourth consecutive year of drought as climate change creates conditions conducive to destructive wildfires.

He told the press conference that he had spoken to federal officials about receiving resources to respond to the disaster, including President Donald Trump, who understood "how dire the situation is."

Fire officials warned that "unauthorized" drone incursions into restricted airspace above wildfires were forcing the grounding of helicopters and other aircraft fighting the blazes.

- 'Extraordinary wildfire season' -

The head of Washington's Department of Natural Resources, David Upthegrove, warned that the fire in Spokane was "one of 15 major fires burning throughout the state of Washington right now."

"This is an extraordinary wildfire season in the Pacific Northwest. It's not a normal season," he said.

"A confluence of weather conditions, a confluence of fires throughout the West, are stretching our resources and challenging the individuals in this response."

The biggest of the three fires burning in Spokane, the Old Trails fire, jumped the Spokane River on Saturday afternoon and crossed into the city proper.

Another resident, Tena Risley, said she saw flames behind trees near her home and, in a panic, she grabbed her dog and a few things. She got stuck in traffic has she tried to flee as the fast-moving fires blocked routes out of the city.

"There were probably hundreds and hundreds of cars," she told AFP.

Authorities issued the highest-level evacuation alert, "Go Now," for swathes of northern Spokane affecting thousands of people within city limits, according to the government's evacuation map.

As of Sunday morning the three fires had charred a total of 5,390 acres (2,181 hectares), CNN reported.

Emergency authorities set up a fire evacuation shelter at the Spokane Convention Center.

(A.Johnson--TAG)