Washington declares state of emergency over raging wildfires

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has declared a state of emergency over  worsening wildfires across the state.

Ferguson also announced a statewide burn ban and said he was set to travel to the city of Spokane to meet with emergency responders and oversee the response to the Old Trails Fire, which continues to burn in the region, Caliber.Az reports via CNN.

“My thoughts are with the first responders and all those under evacuation tonight,” Ferguson said in a post on X. 

Meanwhile, more than 4,000 personnel are battling wildfires across the state, supported by crews from 14 other US states and a firefighting team from Australia.

CNN noted that at least 10 major wildfires are burning across Washington amid drought conditions and strong winds. The fires have scorched more than 425,000 acres (nearly 172,000 hectares) this year, the highest total since 2021.

Authorities have already ordered evacuations in the city of Spokane. Three wildfires are burning in Spokane County, with the largest covering more than 3,000 acres and threatening around 5,000 structures.

By Jeyhun Aghazada