As wildfires burn across the West, crews progress around hard-hit Spokane 


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A huge wildfire effort is underway across the West, with dozens of large fires burning throughout the U.S. and more than 100 active fires in British Columbia, Canada.

Extreme heat and dry conditions have worsened conditions, fueling the spread, leading to evacuations in Utah and Washington.

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A satellite image shows smoke from wildfires in British Columbia, Canada August 9, 2026. NASA WORLDVIEW/Handout via REUTERS

Fires across Washington, Utah

In the U.S. alone, the National Interagency Fire Center reported 183 new fires, including eight large ones, since Saturday.

In Washington state, crews are finally making progress around Spokane after three fires damaged or destroyed about 920 structures.

None of those fires were growing as of Sunday night, but some evacuation orders and warnings remain in place as crews work the containment lines.

REUTERS/Matt Mills McKnight

Meanwhile, in Utah, the Widemouth Two fire is now the largest in the state this year, burning more than 118,000 acres.

As of Monday, an investigation is underway after two helicopter pilots were killed Friday while fighting that fire.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the crash.

The state is also dealing with the Rocky Canyon Fire, which grew to more than 2,800 acres since it started Friday. As of Sunday, it was 0% contained, leading to evacuations in Morgan County.

Fires are also burning in Idaho, Montana and Colorado.

Evacuations in Canada

Across the border in British Columbia, more than 20,000 people were forced to leave communities around Okanagan Lake over the weekend.

About 8,000 evacuations took place around Peachland alone.

British Columbia is now under a state of emergency, with hot, dry conditions keeping the fire danger high.

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Why this story matters

Active wildfires across multiple western U.S. states have destroyed or damaged hundreds of structures and forced evacuations, directly affecting residents' safety, housing and travel in those regions.

Structures lost in Washington

About 920 structures in the Spokane area have been damaged or destroyed, and some evacuation orders and warnings remain in place as of Sunday night.

Utah evacuations ongoing

The Rocky Canyon Fire in Morgan County, Utah was 0% contained as of Sunday, with active evacuations underway for nearby residents.

Firefighting deaths under investigation

Two helicopter pilots were killed Friday fighting Utah's Widemouth Two fire; the NTSB has launched a formal investigation into the crash.

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Fear No Fact.

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Center-rated reporting

According to media bias experts at AllSides

AllSides Center-rated reporting May 2026

Transparent and credible

Awarded a perfect reliability rating from NewsGuard

100/100

Welcome back to trustworthy journalism.

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