SPOKANE, Wash. — First-person videos posted by Spokane County Fire District 8 Firefighters Local 3711 show crews moving from home to home as wildfires tear through neighborhoods.
One video shows firefighters pulling a hose toward a burning home and beginning an attack as flames and smoke surround the property.
“Just a small glimpse of what firefighters were doing to save as much as possible,” the union stated. “Moving from home to home putting out what they can.”
Local 3711 said Spokane County Fire District 8 firefighters joined hundreds of other first responders working through the night on the Old Trails and Fairview fires.
A second video recorded Aug. 1 shows flames consuming structures as firefighters work nearby.
“We know the loss is life-changing for so many,” Local 3711 stated. “Our thoughts are with our community.”
Line medics support crews on the fire line
Local 3711 also documented the work of Fire District 8 line medics assigned to the fires.
Video from the Kaiser Canyon Fire shows line medics moving with strike teams as crews work to hold back flames along Kartar Road. In a video taken on July 23, the union described the fire’s behavior as active and unpredictable.
Another video posted July 26 showed helicopters responding to the Kaiser Canyon Fire. According to Local 3711, medics were treating firefighters in hard-to-reach areas of the fire. Downed trees, unpredictable fire behavior and limited access to medical care complicated their work.
Statewide emergency
The videos provide a close-up look at a wildfire crisis that has forced about 60,000 people to evacuate and destroyed around 700 homes, businesses and other structures in the Spokane area.
The Old Trails and Autumn Lane fires began as small vegetation fires Aug. 1 before rapidly spreading into residential areas.
The Old Trails, Autumn Lane and Fairview fires had burned approximately 8,000 acres and remained uncontained as of early Aug. 3.
Tom Stokesberry with California Interagency Incident Management Team 7 said approximately 920 firefighters were working on the Spokane-area fires. That number was expected to grow to about 2,000 in the coming days.
Officials had not reported any confirmed deaths or injuries.
Severe drought, high temperatures and strong winds helped drive the flames. Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency and imposed a burn ban as conditions worsened. He also activated 100 Washington National Guard members to support the response, according to KOMO News.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized Fire Management Assistance Grants for the Fairview and Autumn Lane fires, as well as the Sinlahekin Fire in Okanogan County. The grants can reimburse up to 75% of eligible firefighting expenses, including equipment, supplies, field camps and mobilization costs. The funding does not provide individual assistance to property owners or cover damage to infrastructure, FEMA stated.
