Wildfires raze neighborhoods in US northwest city of Spokane

SPOKANE: Fast-moving fires left a trail of destruction in the northwestern US city of Spokane on Sunday, with officials reporting hundreds of structures reduced to cinders.

Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes Saturday and overnight into Sunday, as three separate fires broke out in and around the city in the east of Washington state.

The National Weather Service (NWS) had warned of "extremely critical fire weather conditions" in the area due to strong winds and exceptional dryness.

Video of the aftermath on Sunday showed scores of homes burned to the ground, with only their brick fireplaces and foundations remaining, while other houses nearby escaped practically unscathed.

"Just driving around looking at the homes it's just one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen in my life," Spokane resident Geoff Beadles told AFP, after evacuating from his home with his fiance and two dogs.

Mayor Lisa Brown told a press briefing Sunday afternoon: "Hundreds of homes and structures have been lost. We are still assessing the potential for lives to be lost."

"To the people who are suffering right now in our region from either loss or uncertainty... our hearts go out to you. We are here for you for the long term," she said.

Weather conditions had improved on Sunday, with wind dying down, but the fires were still listed at zero percent contained.

Sheriff John Nowels said no deaths or injuries had so far been reported, but "because of the scale of this and what it takes to... do those kinds of investigations in an active fire scene, that could change."

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, who declared a state of emergency, noted that the state is enduring a fourth consecutive year of drought as climate change creates conditions conducive to destructive wildfires.

He told the press conference that he had spoken to federal officials about receiving resources to respond to the disaster, including President Donald Trump, who understood "how dire the situation is."

'Extraordinary wildfire season 

The head of Washington's Department of Natural Resources, David Upthegrove, warned that the fire in Spokane was "one of 15 major fires burning throughout the state of Washington right now."

"This is an extraordinary wildfire season in the Pacific Northwest. It's not a normal season," he said.

"A confluence of weather conditions, a confluence of fires throughout the West, are stretching our resources and challenging the individuals in this response."

The biggest of the three fires burning in Spokane, the Old Trails fire, jumped the Spokane River on Saturday afternoon and crossed into the city proper.

Another resident, Tena Risley, said she saw flames behind trees near her home, and in a panic, she grabbed her dog and a few things. She got stuck in traffic and tried to flee as the fast-moving fires blocked routes out of the city.

"There were probably hundreds and hundreds of cars," she told AFP.

Authorities issued the highest-level evacuation alert, "Go Now," for swathes of northern Spokane affecting thousands of people within city limits, according to the government's evacuation map.

As of Sunday morning the three fires had charred a total of 5,390 acres (2,181 hectares), CNN reported.

Emergency authorities set up a fire evacuation shelter at the Spokane Convention Center.