Washington state wildfires cause 60,000 people to evacuate homes

Wildfires have forced around 60,000 people to evacuate parts of Washington state, destroying hundreds of buildings and leaving thousands without power.

Three major blazes continued to burn around the city of Spokane on Monday, with officials warning that the fires had not been contained.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown described the situation as “the worst natural disaster our region has faced”, adding that authorities were assessing the extent of the damage and were “still discussing the potential for lives to be lost”.

No deaths or injuries have been confirmed.

The fires in Spokane are among a total number of 16 wildfires – burning across 250,000 acres – in wider Washington, the state’s department of natural resources confirmed.

The National Weather Service (NWS) had warned of “extremely critical” fire weather over the weekend, with strong winds and unusually dry conditions helping the flames spread rapidly.

Scientists have said that human-induced climate change makes the warm, dry conditions that lead to wildfires more likely – as well as leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves, and potential summer droughts.