About 60,000 people have evacuated from the Spokane, Washington, area as wildfires fueled by strong winds destroyed hundreds of buildings and knocked out power across the region, officials said.
Three wildfires, collectively referred to as the Spokane Area Fire, have scorched more than 7,700 acres and were 0% contained as of Aug. 2, said Benjamin Cossel, a spokesperson for the California Interagency Incident Management Team 7.
Cossel said the fires have consumed more than 600 structures, including homes and businesses. More than 900 firefighting personnel, including from outside the state, were involved in the ongoing emergency response, officials said.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown at a news conference on Aug. 2 called the wildfires "the worst natural disaster our region has faced."
The cause of the fires remains under investigation. No deaths related to the fires have been reported.
The blazes led Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson to declare a statewide emergency on Aug. 1, banning most recreational and agricultural burning.
"There are just so many Washingtonians who have literally lost everything in a very, very short period of time," Ferguson later said at a news conference.
As strong winds fueled the fires' growth in recent days, Ferguson spoke with President Donald Trump and made a request for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. "I had the clear sense he understood what was going on," Ferguson said of Trump.
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said a "historic weather event" fueled the fires' rapid growth. She warned on Aug. 2 that winds as high as 35 mph could lead to more growth.
"The next couple of days will be challenging," she said, "but we are going to do everything we can to make sure the resources are here and that this issue gets our nation's attention."
About 9,000 homes and businesses were without power across the Spokane region on Aug. 3, according to a USA TODAY outage tracker. Well over half of the outages were concentrated in Spokane County.
The National Weather Service issued air quality alerts throughout much of Washington state, as well as neighboring Idaho and Oregon.
"Air pollutants can cause breathing difficulties for children, the elderly, as well as persons with respiratory problems," said a statement issued by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. "Those individuals who are sensitive to increased particulate matter or smoke are encouraged to avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity during this advisory."
The blazes erupted as much of the western U.S. experienced above-average temperatures and dry conditions. Much of Washington state had moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Throughout the summer, about 450,000 acres have burned in Washington state, Dave Upthegrove, Washington state's commissioner of public lands, said on Aug. 1.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spokane wildfires force 60,000 to flee in Washington