Thousands evacuated as 3 fast-moving wildfires burn across eastern Washington state

NPR | By Anna King

Published August 3, 2026 at 4:45 AM EDT

Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes, as three wildfires threaten several Spokane, Washington neighborhoods. No fatalities have been reported.

Anna King

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

NPR News

This lawyer believes in second chances. Now AI is providing a boost

Andrea Hsu

Tens of millions of Americans have criminal records that can be barriers to employment. An AI-powered app is helping those eligible to expunge their records at a pace not seen before.
NPR News

Rare photos of ex-Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi give her family hope

Lorcan Lovett

Kim Aris, son of Aung San Suu Kyi, told NPR that photographs of his mother meeting a foreign official gave him "a reason to hope" for the first time since the military coup that ousted her in 2021.
Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom

As data center developers eye West Virginia, local communities feel overlooked

Chris Schulz

Data center development is a fast growing industry, with projects popping up in seemingly every corner of the country. But that’s not been the case in West Virginia so far. Now, state officials are rolling out the red carpet for the expensive and increasingly expansive projects.
NPR News

Over 4 million people are no longer receiving food aid amid sweeping changes to SNAP

Juliana Kim

SNAP, also known as food stamps, has seen a rapid and consistent participation decline since last July. The drop comes as the program faces historic cuts and changes.
NPR News

For Republicans planning post-Trump future, one race in Washington is worth watching

Saige Miller

The primary to replace Rep. Dan Newhouse is a rare opportunity for Washington's Republicans to seek federal office. Candidates representing different wings of the party are testing Trump's influence.