Washington wildfires scorch over 2,50,000 acres of land; trigger mass evacuations

Wildfires in Washington state have burned over 250,000 acres, prompting Governor Bob Ferguson to declare a statewide emergency and impose a burn ban.

The fast-moving Old Trails Fire in Spokane burned about 3,000 acres, threatened nearly 4,000 structures, and forced evacuations of around 200 homes.

Power utility Avista implemented public safety shutoffs, leaving about 60,000 customers without electricity.

More than 4,000 firefighters, backed by the National Guard and crews from over a dozen states, battled the fires.

The Kaiser Canyon Fire in northeast Washington had grown to about 134,000 acres, one of five major fire complexes.