Spokane wildfires destroy 900-plus homes as evacuees return
What's new: Nearly 1,700 firefighters contained the remaining hotspots after up to 64,000 people fled and no deaths were reported.
Wildfires on the outskirts of Spokane, Washington, have destroyed or heavily damaged more than 900 homes as some evacuees began returning after a week away. The three fires, which erupted Aug. 1, burned about 4,047 hectares around the state’s second-largest city and at one point forced as many as 64,000 residents under evacuation orders. Nearly 1,700 firefighters prevented further spread despite another stretch of hot, dry weather, while some neighborhoods remained off-limits as crews worked through hotspots and unstable ruins. No serious injuries or deaths were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause, though Aaron Farinacci, 37, was charged with arson in connection with one of the blazes.