Spokane Fire Evacuees Return After 9 Days as Thousands Get Clearance

Q: Are residents returning too soon considering containment levels remain below fifty percent across the region?

Not necessarily. Officials are not reopening all fire zones; they are allowing returns only to addresses that incident command and county authorities have judged outside the active fire perimeters. Level 3 “leave now” orders remain in the hardest-hit and still-dangerous areas, and officials are telling residents to verify their exact address on the official evacuation map before going back. Containment below 50% does not automatically mean an area is unsafe for reentry. It means firefighters have secured only part of the fire’s perimeter. In Spokane, the three main fires were reported at roughly 31% to 47% contained, but crews also said there had been no growth, more than 75 miles of containment line had been built, and most heat near structures and control lines had been knocked down. Red flag warnings had also expired when some evacuations were downgraded. That said, returning does not mean conditions are normal or risk-free. Fire officials and the Spokane Regional Health District have warned about flare-ups, wind shifts, smoke, ash pits, weakened trees, damaged utilities, hazardous debris, contaminated food or water, and possible structural damage even in homes that appear intact. Residents are being told to be ready to leave again if conditions worsen. So the better reading is that some residents are not returning too soon if they are in officially cleared zones, but the reopening is cautious and conditional, not a sign the broader wildfire threat is over.

3 articles · Updated · KXLY Spokane · Aug 9

Thousands of Spokane County residents evacuated by area fires were cleared to return home Sunday, Sheriff John Nowels said after nine days out of their homes.
An updated evacuation map posted at 1:30 p.m. showed which areas were reopened as fire conditions improved enough to allow reentry.
The move marks a significant easing of disruption from the Spokane-area fires, though the return order applies only to many evacuees rather than all affected residents.