Upriver Fire Explodes Near Spokane Valley, Forces Mass Evacuations and Destroys Homes

A fast-moving wildfire erupted Tuesday afternoon near Beacon Hill in the Spokane Valley area, rapidly scorching more than 250 acres and triggering Level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders for thousands of residents as strong winds and tinder-dry conditions drove flames through a densely populated neighborhood.

Fire Ignites and Spreads Rapidly

The Upriver Fire was reported at approximately 12:30 p.m. Tuesday near Upriver Drive, across from Felts Field on Spokane's east side. Within minutes, what began as a one-acre brushfire had exploded to 10 acres — and by 1:45 p.m. it had reached 50 acres with no signs of slowing. Fueled by 30 mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph and afternoon humidity readings between 12 and 23 percent, the fire raced through stands of trees and into the Northwood neighborhood of Spokane Valley.

"Wind-driven fires are very, very dangerous and dangerous to work in — they move very rapidly," said Spokane County Fire District 9 Chief Matthew Vinci at an evening news conference. "They have a lot of fuel in that area. It's a very densely populated area, and it's tough conditions."

Evacuations and Structures Threatened

By Tuesday evening, 11,750 residents were under evacuation orders, with 2,340 primary and secondary structures threatened. Level 3 "Go Now" orders covered the area bounded by Bigelow Gulch to the north, Upriver Drive to the south, Northwood to the east, and Argonne to the west. A Level 2 "Be Set" warning extended north of Bigelow Gulch to Uhlig Road and east of Argonne to North Pleasant Prairie Road.

No injuries were reported as of Tuesday evening, though some homes were destroyed to their foundations, with concrete slabs the only structures remaining. Crews remained engaged in active structure protection into the night.

Massive Interagency Response

More than 300 firefighting personnel and over 65 apparatus responded to the fire, including engines and crews from the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley, Fire District 9, and mutual-aid partners from North Idaho and Western Washington. Approximately 10 aircraft — including air tankers and helicopters — worked throughout the afternoon, with helicopters making repeated water drops from the Spokane River.

DNR spokesperson Ryan Rodruck confirmed the agency committed significant air resources and stated they would continue retardant and water drops into Wednesday. Additional state and federal resources were en route Tuesday evening.

Red Flag Warning Was In Effect

The National Weather Service had issued a regional Red Flag Warning covering most of eastern Washington east of the Cascades — including the Spokane area, Columbia Basin, Waterville Plateau, and Okanogan Valley — in effect from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday. The warning cited high winds, low relative humidity, and critically dry fuels as combining to create extreme fire danger.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson responded quickly, announcing Tuesday on social media that he had requested federal disaster assistance from FEMA and expected the request to be approved.

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