SPOKANE, Wash.— Fire crews continued to make progress battling three wildfires overnight, strengthening containment lines and mopping up a spot fire, an incident commander said Tuesday.But the fires are 0% contained, officials said.
The three fires, in Spokane and Stevens counties, were fueled this weekend by gusty winds that exacerbated the fire risk.There was no growth in two of those fires, while crews doused a spot fire near the Autumn Lane Fire and built containment lines around that blaze, which was around 5,603 acres Tuesday, said Joe Tieso, operations section chief for an incident management team.Crews were patrolling part of the fire zone, and “it’s looking really good,” Tieso said at a morning briefing.The three fires in the Spokane area — the Old Trails Fire, the Fairview Fire and the Autumn Lane Fire — together have burned more than 8,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of structures, according to fire officials.Dozens of homes are seen burned to the ground after a wildfire hit the northern part of Spokane, Wash., on Monday.Lindsey Wasson / AP“Although firefighters continue making progress, all three fires remain active with areas of significant heat and interior burning,” an update on an official information website about the fires said on Tuesday.President Donald Trump on Tuesday approved an emergency aid request for Washington to help with the fires, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.
Washington Gov.Bob Ferguson said he is in the process of a Major Disaster Declaration request, which would provide assistance to individuals.“We are laser-focused on getting assistance to those Washingtonians who have lost so much,” Ferguson said in a statement Tuesday.People watch the Old Trails Fire in Spokane, Wash., on Aug.
1.Young Kwak / APOne of the three fires, the Old Trails Fire, was allegedly started by arson.Aaron Farinacci, 37, was charged Monday with first-degree arson, and a judge continued his bond at $1 million during a v...