Fast-Moving Wildfires Ravage Washington State, Forcing Evacuations

One of the most substantial fires, named the Gray Fire and located near Spokane in eastern Washington, ignited at noon and swiftly spread across 4.7 square miles (12 square kilometers) of grass, timber, and wheat, driven by winds reaching 35 mph (56 kph), as reported by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, according to ABC news.

Medical Lake, a community of approximately 4,800 residents, received Level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders, with some homes and structures already succumbing to the flames, though the exact count remained uncertain.

In response to the escalating crisis, National Guard troops were deployed to assist in the evacuation of patients and staff from Eastern State Hospital, a psychiatric facility with 367 beds situated in Medical Lake.

Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels described deputies' frantic efforts to persuade residents to leave their homes, stating, "We've had to rescue people by boat. We've had to rescue people by helicopter. If you're in an evacuation area, leave. We have some folks who refused to leave. Fire then overtakes where they're at and they need to be rescued."

Further evacuation orders were issued for nearby Four Lakes, a community of about 500 residents. Additionally, a Level 2 evacuation alert, urging residents to "Get Set" to evacuate, was issued Friday night for the city of Cheney, home to more than 13,000 residents. The alert extended to staff and students at Eastern Washington University, located in Cheney.

A second fire in Spokane County, named the Oregon Road Fire, also prompted evacuations, according to the Department of Natural Resources. This fire, which erupted near Elk around 4 p.m., rapidly expanded to cover approximately 3 square miles (8 square kilometers).

The region had experienced scorching temperatures in the triple digits the previous week, leaving grasslands and wheat fields highly susceptible to ignition, explained Joe Smillie, spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources. He added, "We haven't had any real rain all summer, basically," and noted the arrival of a cooler weather front on Thursday, accompanied by gusty winds.

The National Weather Service had previously warned of "critical fire conditions," citing the dry climate and the potential for gusty winds capable of rapidly spreading both new and existing fires.

Authorities responded by mobilizing additional aircraft and firefighters to combat the Gray Fire, which resulted in the closure of Interstate 90.

To the south of Spokane, the Winona Fire in Whitman County scorched at least 7.8 square miles (20.2 square kilometers) of grass and brush, leading to evacuation orders for Winona, a small community with roughly 50 residents. The Department of Natural Resources stated on social media, "Cropland, range land, primary structure, and secondary structures are threatened."

While 36 fires had erupted across the state in the past two days, most were small and promptly contained, according to Smillie. As of now, there is no immediate information available regarding the cause of these devastating fires.