The map above is so crazy that I don’t even have the words to adequately describe it. It is a real map that comes from WatchDuty.org, and it shows wildfires that are actively burning in this country right now. As you can see, enormous wildfires are raging throughout the western third of the nation. A combination of intense heat, severe drought, high winds and neglected forests have created conditions that are unlike anything the region has ever seen before. Every day more homes are being lost, and the economic damage that we are witnessing is incalculable.
As I write this article, three large wildfires that have just erupted are causing immense damage in the Spokane area.
According to the latest update, approximately 7,500 acres have burned, more than 600 structures have been destroyed, and all three fires are 0% contained…
Several fires exploded in size across Spokane County on Saturday afternoon.
A combination of three fires has burned about 7,500 acres, and all three are still 0% contained. California Interagency Incident Management Team 7 is assuming command of the Spokane Area Fires, which consist of the Autumn Lane Fire, Old Trails Fire and Fairview Fire.
Fire authorities confirmed to KREM 2 that over 600 structures have been destroyed by the fires.
There was a mad scramble to evacuate on Saturday evening, and as a result there were huge traffic jams throughout the city.
In some cases, those stuck in the traffic jams could literally see giant flames approaching in their rear view mirrors.
Can you imagine being in that position?
There were many that left with only the clothes on their backs.
That is how fast this happened.
And when some of them finally return home, they will discover that they have lost everything.
Of the 600 structures that have burned down, authorities cannot yet tell us how many of them were homes…
Cossel said they couldn’t say how many of the structures burned were homes at this time. He added that it could take up to a week for crews to arrive and assess the exact number of how many homes lost.
The California Interagency Incident Management Team 7 said the Spokane Area Fires is the No.1 priority in the nation.
Of course we know that many of the structures that burned down were homes, because we have seen footage of entire neighborhoods burning on the news…
This is a major tragedy.
One local resident described is as “a nuclear bomb going off in our neighborhoods”…
“This is a nuclear bomb going off in our neighborhoods,” Spokane resident Brent Dallman told CNN affiliate KHQ. “This is condensed into where it’s demographically a lot of people, so it’s really tragic.”
But big corporate news outlets in New York City and Washington D.C. are not giving this disaster much coverage at all.
So many in the eastern half of the nation don’t even know what is going on.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has officially declared a state of emergency.
According to his office, more than 200,000 acres are currently burning across the state…
“Our record-setting drought and high winds are creating dangerous conditions across the state,” Governor Ferguson said. “I am declaring an emergency to help prevent loss of life and property damage. I encourage all Washingtonians to do their part to protect our state during these extreme conditions.”
“This year has already been one of our busiest wildfire years on record, and we just started August,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. “Our firefighters are already stretched thin across the state, and with more heat and wind expected this weekend and for the rest of the summer, any new spark on our tinder dry landscapes can lead to another devastating wildfire. I’m urging all Washingtonians to not be that spark.”
Washington is in the midst of a record-setting fourth consecutive statewide drought. More than 1,000 fires have burned approximately 425,000 acres — the most acres burned since 2021, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Currently, more than 200,000 acres are burning in 12 large fires.
The month of August is just beginning, and there is no rain in sight.
Hopefully some precipitation will come along soon.
Interestingly, one of the fires that has erupted in Spokane just happens to be “ground zero” for a massive data center that had been put on hold due to “local pushback”…
The fires have continued to spread even as I have been writing this article.
Now the total number of acres that have been burned in the Spokane area has surpassed the 8,000 mark.
Those that have already evacuated probably won’t be able to return to their homes for an extended period of time.
Meanwhile, the Super El Niño of 2026 is bringing more intense heat to the western half of the country.
For the next few days, yet another historic heat dome will be absolutely baking many of our most prominent western cities…
- Records at risk: Dozens of record highs are likely to be set this weekend from California to Montana, and it is possible that a few monthly records could be tied or broken as well.
- Searing highs: Triple-digit heat stretches from Las Vegas to Montana, with cooler pockets in between. Forecast high temperatures Sunday could reach 114 degrees in Phoenix and Las Vegas, and the low-to-mid-90s in downtown Los Angeles. These numbers are down only slightly from Saturday.
- Public health threat: The NWS warns of “major” or “extreme” heat risks across much of the region, indicating a widespread threat to public health from heat exposure. “Major” heat risk is not only centered on the Southwest, but will also stretch from Denver to North Dakota. In Los Angeles, which is under an extreme heat warning, cooling centers are open this weekend through Sunday, though above-average temperatures are forecast to extend into next week. Other major cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix have also opened various cooling stations.
- “Critical” fire danger in Northwest: Elevated fire risk is predicted from eastern Washington southward into Oregon and Nevada, on eastward all the way to the Dakotas. “Critical” fire weather risk — a level 2 out of 3 — is projected for much of Montana and parts of Idaho and Wyoming.
For years, I have been warning about the epic multi-year drought that the western half of the country has been experiencing.
At first, a lot of people out there didn’t think that it was that big of a deal.
But now the consequences are becoming exceedingly clear.
What we are facing is not even close to normal, and it is time for America to wake up.
Read the full article here