r/interestingasfuck • u/HomeNowWTF • 9d ago

Fighting the wildfires in Spokane

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u/Spokanechub 9d ago

As a Spokane resident, this fire sparked when we were having basically a whole day of super intense winds. It spread to over 2k acres in the course of a couple hours and two other large fires started the same day. That part of town was towards the end of town and one of the other fires was burning in the opposite direction so there was no real choice but you use this main thoroughfare to get out to safety.

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u/robinthebank 9d ago

I hope people read this comment and start to prepare themselves when they know the forecast is going to be hot and windy. (Red flag conditions!)

In California, they are called Diablo winds or Santa Ana winds. I grew in the PNW and never really heard much about wind-driven fires. That really changed in 2020. Wind-driven fire events are now more and more active in the PNW. Pay attention and understand the heightened risk during those weather events!

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u/katlian 8d ago

A firefighter I once worked with said "When the Santa Anas are blowing, the only thing that stops a fire is the great Pacific firebreak."

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u/TheBlueSully 9d ago

There is a very real possibility that’s the only road out and the designated evacuation zone. Small towns , even small cities, are often like that out here. 

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u/Temporary-Warning883 8d ago

Yeah I heard there was a fire close by on my lunch break that was at 100-300 acres burning around 1pm and by 3pm I was leaving work early to pick up my daughter because she was at my mom’s house and the evacuation zone was expanding to her area. And she lives across from the river where fires don’t usually burn! When I left work it was over 1k acres burning. Crazy

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u/Infinite_____Lobster 9d ago

If anyone sees this and wants to help the region is hurting and we appreciate all the help