‘The top fire in our nation’: Old Trails destroys 640 structures as ‘potential for lives to be lost’ remains
The Old Trails wildfire in northwest Spokane destroyed 640 structures Saturday and overnight into Sunday, and officials are “still assessing the potential for lives to be lost.”
Many of the homes burned were inside the city limits of Spokane, according said Cody Rohrbach, Spokane County Fire District 3 fire chief.
While Saturday wrought devastation and officials say Sunday could still see more homes destroyed, the fire has “moderated significantly,” according to Tom Engberg, a public information officer with California Incident Management Team 7. Firefighters have been able to stop the advance of the fire before it moved into more neighborhoods.
At a 2 p.m. news conference Sunday, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said the city is “still assessing the potential for lives to be lost.”
“Although the fires are not out yet, the care and the recovery began yesterday and continues today, and will go on as long as it needs to go. We will get through this,” Brown said.
Some residents in Indian Trail and other neighborhoods came back after the fast-moving wildfire had jumped the Spokane River to find part of the area had burned to the ground, leveling homes and leaving nothing but the foundations behind.
“It’s gone, all gone,” said Randy Bui, as he stood in front of what was left of his home Sunday morning, which was a clump of charred metal and blackened brick. Nearby, the only remaining part of his neighbor’s home was their pool.
Bui came to Spokane nearly 30 years ago from Vietnam and settled off of West Tiffany Avenue. The entire street has been razed to ash by the nearly 4,000-acre wildfire that began near Airway Heights Saturday and quickly spread east before reaching parts of the city.
There have been no confirmed reports of lives lost, “but based on radio traffic, it will be anticipated,” Rohrbach said.
When taken together with other fires in the immediate area – the 914-acre Fairview fire burning near Mead and the Autumn Lane fire burning about 3,300 acres near Suncrest - the Spokane Complex wildfire acreage was listed Sunday morning as about 7,780 acres.
The Old Trails fire started on the West Plains, where strong winds blew it northeast into Riverside State Park. It then jumped the Spokane River, burned the Spokane Rifle Club and raced up the bluffs and began burning neighborhoods, including Indian Trail and Five Mile Prairie.
Pictures shows walls of flame at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex, but soccer and other fields were not destroyed.
Fairmount Memorial cemetery had some areas damaged, but most of the grounds and the mausoleum were not damaged by the fire.
Mass evacuations remain in place, with the Spokane Convention Center serving as the main overnight shelter for 409 families that had to flee their homes in chaotic scenes that unfolded in the neighborhoods of northwest Spokane.
Officials from Spokane Public Schools, Mead School District and Great Northern School District said schools in the path of the fires did not burn.
Residents who are still in level 3 evacuation zones are being warned to stay there, said Spokane Fire Department spokesperson Justin de Ruyter. The area is still extremely hazardous and there are still open flames.
There still could be homes lost Sunday, he said. People are urged to stay away from the burned areas until the evacuations are lowered.
Gov. Bob Ferguson spoke with President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Sunday afternoon, he said.
“I spoke to the president about what’s going on. Spoke in pretty clear fashion about how dire the situation is. He understands that. He knew that going into the call. He expressed his support for what people are going through out here, and I deeply appreciate him taking time from his obviously busy schedule to hear about what’s happening from folks on the ground and to offer their support,” Ferguson said.
The state has requested short-term emergency aid from FEMA. They expect that to be approved “in the near future,” Ferguson said. Plans for long term assistance are already being made.
“There are just so many Washingtonians who literally lost everything in a very, very short period of time. Just in a matter of hours, their lives changed in deeply dramatic and fundamental ways, and so it’s difficult time for us when folks experience a loss like that. But we want all those individuals know that we are all here for the long haul,” Ferguson said.
Spokane Police staffed extra officers on patrol last night to combat any potential looters, according to Sgt. Terry Preuniger.
Brown declared a state of emergency, and winds gusted between 35 and 45 mph for hours. Ferguson activated the National Guard. Ferguson is flying to Spokane on Sunday morning.
Skyline Drive is one of the areas where homes are leveled.
Some that exploded left bricks scattered across sidewalks. The smell of sour metal and burning wood hung over the entire neighborhood. Flames still spit from most of the homes. People driving through to survey the damage filmed on their phones.
One family, who lose three homes between them, attempted to salvage what was left of the hole in the ground where their house used to be. They pulled out a burnt safe, some documents and loaded two lawnmowers into their car.
Theresa Sullivan, who lives nearby, came to hug those who had lost their houses. Her home miraculously survived just a street away.
“This is just devastating,” she said, her hand covering her mouth in shock. “I have friends who lost everything.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Hundreds of firefighters are in the area, including some 120 personnel from California Interagency Management Team 7 who arrived in Spokane last night and immediately began shadowing local crews on the fire lines, are assisting into the morning.
Incident Commander Tom Clemo said it will likely be days before it’s known exactly how many homes were lost.
“Probably the largest, most destructive fire in Washington’s history occurred yesterday afternoon,” he said.
Clemo said the coordination from local fire department saved lives and property.
Some are set to work 30-40 hours straight, Rohrbach said.
“Yesterday’s day shift was last night’s night shift, and they’re again today’s day shift,” Rohrbach said. “We did that intentionally based on the imminent threat to life.”
Early Sunday morning, evacuees at the convention center sat on cots and wrapped themselves in American Red Cross blankets as they woke up to a city changed. Many held their heads in their hands as they gripped newspapers or phones, hearing for the first time the devastation of the day before.
Laura Brodnax, 72, got a call from her neighbor Saturday evening warning her she needed to evacuate immediately. Living on Monroe with her eight cats, Brodnax packed up five of them into three carriers - leaving behind three with plenty of food and water and a prayer that the house wouldn’t burn.
“I called 911; I said, ‘I’m disabled. I have five cats and three carriers. I will not leave my cats, so I’m gonna go out and sit on the curb,’” Brodnax said.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Brodnax remembered the dispatcher telling her.
Waiting outside with her neighbor who refused to leave Brodnax behind, the police picked her up to transport her to Shadle Park High School. Later, Brodnax was again bussed to the Spokane Convention Center.
“I would never dream this would happen,” Brodnax said. “I thought I was in about the safest place – no earthquakes, no water – how could I possibly be in a dangerous fire situation? I’m in the middle of town.”
The convention center was busy with people, cots, chairs and pets. Volunteers in red American Red Cross vests darted around attending to needs and talking with people. By 9 a.m., evacuees lined up to grab food, water and coffee breakfast, and pet owners were given animal kibble and crates if needed.
Other fires that ignited Saturday also led to mass evacuations and destroyed homes.
Outside of Mount Spokane High School, hundreds of firefighters from a variety of states gathered Sunday morning to tackle the 981-acres Fairview fire in Mead.
A wildfire in the Suncrest area across the Spokane River in Stevens County was started by an ember.
Wind spread the fire rapidly uphill, where it burned three homes along Meadowview, according to Stevens County Fire District No. 1.
Many more houses burned as fire resources ran short. The fire district noted that it was able to save many houses.
The Red Cross has opened an evacuation shelter at Jenkins High School in Chewelah for evacuees in southern Stevens County.
This story is developing and will be updated.
Reporting by Elena Perry, Julia Pentasuglio, Alexandra Duggan, Amanda Sullender, Nick Gibson, Megan Howard, Mathew Callaghan, John Stucke and Alayna Shulman.