The National Weather Service issued widespread Red Flag Warnings across eastern Washington and northeast Oregon on Tuesday, June 16, as a combination of low humidity, strong winds, and critically dry fuels created extreme fire weather conditions — conditions that were already being tested by the outbreak of the Upriver Fire near Spokane Valley.

Warning Coverage

The NWS office in Pendleton declared a Red Flag Warning in effect from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday for a broad swath of the region east of the Cascades, including:

  • The Spokane area and surrounding eastern Washington
  • The Columbia Basin in both Washington and Oregon
  • The Waterville Plateau
  • The Okanogan Valley
  • The Lower Columbia Basin of northeast Oregon

West winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 to 50 mph were forecast, combined with afternoon relative humidity values as low as 12 to 19 percent — a combination that fire weather meteorologists describe as near-critical or critical fire conditions.

Why These Conditions Are So Dangerous

Red Flag conditions represent the convergence of three factors that make fire start and spread most likely: low humidity that desiccates fine fuels, strong winds that accelerate fire spread and spread embers, and dry fuels that have been cured by weeks of warm, dry weather. When all three occur simultaneously, even a small ignition can grow rapidly beyond the capacity of initial attack crews.

The Upriver Fire near Spokane Valley confirmed those dangers in real time Tuesday. Starting as a single-acre brushfire at 12:30 p.m., the blaze exploded to over 250 acres with zero containment within hours, destroying homes and forcing evacuation of nearly 12,000 residents.

Avista Implemented Proactive Outages

Utility company Avista took the unusual step of implementing precautionary power shutoffs in parts of North Spokane on Tuesday as wind gusts threatened to knock down power lines and spark fires in dry grass and timber. Targeted Public Safety Power Shutoffs are increasingly being used by western utilities during extreme fire weather events as a risk-reduction tool, following a practice pioneered by California utilities in recent years.

Conditions Expected to Continue

Fire weather forecasters warned that the current pattern is not an isolated event. A persistent ridge of high pressure building over the Pacific Northwest is expected to keep temperatures above normal and humidity low through the coming week. Eastern Washington and Oregon face above-normal fire potential through the remainder of June, according to the National Interagency Fire Center's Predictive Services outlook.

Residents across eastern Washington and northeast Oregon are urged to take extra precautions during this period:

  • Avoid using power equipment, chainsaws, or grinders outdoors during afternoon hours
  • Do not drive vehicles or park in dry grass — vehicle sparks and hot exhaust are a leading cause of grass fires
  • Do not burn debris under any circumstances
  • Have an evacuation plan ready and know your local emergency alert sign-up
  • In Washington, register at AlertSense or your county emergency management system
  • In Oregon, sign up at ORAlert.gov