Old Trails Fire: What's Happening in the Spokane Wildfire Evacuations

Published:August 2, 2026 · Last updated: August 1, 2026, 8:30 p.m. PDT · Reviewed by Ertuğrul Öz, Certified Fire Chief & Training Specialist

A fast-moving wildfire, now named the Old Trails Fire, broke out just before noon on Saturday, August 1, 2026, west of Spokane, Washington, near Old Trails Road and West Euclid Road. Driven by wind gusts reported between 35 and 50 mph and single-digit humidity, the fire grew rapidly through the afternoon, jumped the Spokane River, and pushed into Riverside State Park and neighborhoods in northwest Spokane. By 8:20 p.m., it had grown to an estimated 3,500 acres and was still 0% contained. Fire crews and Spokesman-Review reporters on scene confirmed homes had burned in the fire's path, and officials warned the full extent of the damage wouldn't be clear until daylight.

One Spokane resident, watching the fire approach his neighborhood, told CNN it felt like "a nuclear bomb going off in our neighborhoods." Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said the fire had turned the region into a crisis situation by late afternoon and has activated the Washington National Guard to assist. Statewide, more than 200,000 acres are currently burning across 12 large fires, according to the governor's office.

Level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders — the highest level, meaning leave immediately due to life-threatening conditions — remain in effect for multiple neighborhoods northeast of Airway Heights and along the river, and have continued to expand through the evening. The Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center fully evacuated its 27 patients to area shelters. The original evacuation shelter at Spokane Falls Community College has closed and evacuees have been relocated to a Red Cross shelter at the Spokane Convention Center. An animal shelter is operating at the Barking Lot in Spokane Valley. Utility provider Avista cut power to more than 7,000 customers in the area as a precaution.

Why the Fire Grew So Fast

Hours before the Old Trails Fire started, the National Weather Service issued a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" (PDS) Red Flag Warning across Central and Eastern Washington — a designation reserved for the single most extreme fire-weather setups, and one officials said had never been issued in the state before. A strong cold front swept through the Inland Northwest on August 1, bringing historically strong, gusty winds and very low humidity on top of already dry vegetation.

Under those conditions, a spark — the cause of the Old Trails Fire is still under investigation and has been described as human-caused — can turn into a fast-moving, wind-driven fire within minutes rather than hours. Observers on scene described the fire making sustained "crown runs," meaning flames were racing through treetops rather than creeping along the ground, which allows a fire to outrun typical containment efforts and cross natural barriers like a river.

Washington's State of Emergency and Burn Ban

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency and imposed a statewide burn ban running through September 30, 2026, activating the Washington National Guard and authorizing the state to draw on the Emergency Management Assistance Compact for additional out-of-state firefighting resources. Washington State Patrol authorized state fire mobilization within roughly 90 minutes of the fire's start, deploying five strike teams to reinforce local crews from Spokane County Fire District 9 and Fire District 10.

Fixed-wing aircraft and at least one helicopter were also assigned to slow the fire's spread, though officials warned aircraft effectiveness would be limited by the same high winds driving the fire.

What Level 1, 2, and 3 Evacuations Actually Mean

These three levels are used by most Western U.S. counties, including Spokane County, and the wording is intentionally blunt: a Level 3 order is not a suggestion, and "this may be your only notice" language — used in the actual alerts sent for the Old Trails Fire — means responders may not have the resources to issue a second warning before conditions become unsurvivable.

Other Fires Burning in the Region Right Now

The Old Trails Fire is not an isolated event — it's the largest of several fires that broke out across the Inland Northwest during the same Red Flag event. Search interest has also spiked for the Logan Fire in Utah and the Big Rock Fire near the Washington–Idaho border, both driven by the same pattern of dry fuels, low humidity, and strong wind. If you're tracking fire activity across the broader region rather than just Spokane, it's worth monitoring all three, since a single wind event is capable of igniting or accelerating multiple fires simultaneously.

What to Do If You're In or Near the Evacuation Area

• ✓Check your exact address against the official Spokane County evacuation map before assuming you are or aren't affected — zone boundaries are drawn street by street and change as the fire moves.
• ✓Sign up for local emergency alerts if you haven't already — most counties, including Spokane, offer free text/email evacuation alerts tied to your address.
• ✓If you're under a Level 2 order, leave before it becomes Level 3 — waiting for the highest level in fast-moving, wind-driven fires like this one can mean evacuating through smoke and traffic instead of ahead of it.
• ✓Check on neighbors who may need help evacuating — elderly residents, people without vehicles, and those with mobility limitations, especially given medical facilities in the area were also evacuated.
• ✓Watch air quality even outside the evacuation zone — smoke from a fire this size typically affects air quality well beyond the fire perimeter; check local air quality alerts if you have respiratory conditions.
• ✗Don't drive into or toward the fire to "see how close it is" — this both endangers you and can block roads first responders and evacuating residents need.
• ✗Don't rely on acreage or containment numbers from any single source, including this article — cross-check with official channels below, since figures can lag real conditions by hours.

Where to Get Live Updates

For real-time acreage, containment, and evacuation zone boundaries, use official and local sources rather than any single news article, including this one:

• Spokane County's official evacuation map — the authoritative source for current Level 1/2/3 zone boundaries.
• Washington State Department of Natural Resources wildfire dashboard — statewide fire activity, acreage, and containment updates.
• InciWeb (inciweb.wildfire.gov) — the federal incident information system used for significant wildfires, when the fire is added.
• Local broadcasters — KREM 2, KHQ, and The Spokesman-Review are providing rolling, on-the-ground coverage and are typically first to reflect boundary changes.
• AirNow.gov — for current air quality and smoke impact, including areas outside the fire perimeter.

We'll update this article as the situation develops. If you have a confirmed update from an official source, the fastest way to verify a change is to check it against Spokane County's own evacuation map before acting on it.