US ravaged by wildfires, Washington State declares emergency

In the United States, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has declared a statewide emergency and imposed a burn ban as fast-spreading wildfires, driven by strong winds, scorched nearly 3,000 acres and forced thousands of people to evacuate. The National Weather Service issued Washington’s first-ever Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning for parts of Central and Eastern Washington, citing extreme fire weather conditions. The conditions are a combination of hot temperatures, low relative humidity, strong winds, and atmospheric instability that prime the environment for wildfires to easily ignite and spread rapidly. The rapidly spreading Old Trails Fire in Spokane County has threatened around 4,000 buildings. 

JUST IN: Thousands told to evacuate as wildfires worsen in Washington state

A fast-moving wildfire neared the US city of Spokane on Saturday, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate as Washington state declared an emergency over one of its worst fire seasons on record.

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Officials said firefighters are battling ten major wildfires across more than two lakh acres statewide. Firefighting crews from 14 states and Australia have joined the response. Emergency power shutoffs have affected nearly 13,400 customers, while internet disruptions have also been reported in several fire-hit areas.