Washington Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations
Wildfires have forced around 60,000 people to evacuate parts of Washington state, destroying hundreds of buildings and leaving thousands without power.
Three major blazes continued to burn around the city of Spokane on Monday, with officials warning that the fires had not been contained.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown described the situation as “the worst natural disaster our region has faced.”
Adding that authorities were assessing the extent of the damage and were “still discussing the potential for lives to be lost”.
No deaths or injuries have been confirmed.
The fires in Spokane are among a total number of 16 large, uncontained wildfires on the landscape in Washington state as of Monday morning.
According to scientists, human-caused climate change increases the likelihood of warm, dry conditions that cause wildfires, as well as more frequent and severe heatwaves and possible summer droughts.
Reuters: A lady in black capris, a grey sweater, and black pants puts her arm around a small child wearing black shorts, a black shirt, and black sneakers while they both examine the debris from a structure and the damage caused by a burned tree.
In the city of Spokane, thousands of individuals have been evicted from their houses.
Spokane Mayor Calls for Vigilance
Speaking to News, Mayor Brown said, “The most important thing is that people need to remain vigilant and be patient and comply when we ask them to be ready to evacuate or when we say it’s time to evacuate”.
She added: “Although people are very generous and engaged and our first responders are working around the clock “.
We need help in order to really meet the magnitude of the displacement and the lack of housing and the need for essential living supplies.”
Forecasters have cautioned that temperatures are likely to soar again later in the week, despite Monday’s predicted lower winds.
