SPOKANE, Wash. — Firefighters across Eastern Washington are confronting a new reality: wildfires that move faster, burn hotter and behave in ways that defy traditional firefighting tactics.
The region’s shifting climate conditions—hotter temperatures, lower humidity and stronger winds—have created a dangerous combination that extends fire season and intensifies fire behavior. This shift is forcing local fire departments to fundamentally rethink how they train and respond.
The dangers became starkly apparent earlier this month when two firefighters with South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue narrowly escaped death during the Chelan Hills Fire.
“We saw this explosive run of fire. It created its own weather and ran over what we would call an entire division,” said Fire Chief Shane Stocking.
This type of extreme fire behavior—where fires generate their own weather systems and spread with explosive force—is no longer rare in Eastern Washington. Spokane Fire first encountered this phenomenon during the Gray and Oregon Road fires, prompting the department to overhaul its training approach.
“We show up together on the fires anyhow,” said Justin De Ruyter, a spokesperson for Spokane Fire. “District 9, City of Spokane, Spokane Valley, we have our borders but once these fires hit, we’re all working together anyhow. It’s only natural to bring that training together.”
The department now conducts joint training exercises with neighboring fire agencies including District 9 and Spokane Valley Fire. This coordinated approach allows firefighters from different jurisdictions to develop familiarity and establish protocols before they’re needed in the field during active fires.
The implications extend beyond firefighting tactics. Extreme fire behavior can trigger evacuation orders with little warning, sometimes in a matter of minutes.
“Fire doesn’t need to be in your neighborhood, or be established in your neighborhood to affect your neighborhood,” De Ruyter said. “Those embers can travel a mile or a mile and a half. You can be looking at a fire way over there across the highway, and then you look across and you’ve got smoke behind you.”
Spokane Fire is urging residents to prepare now for the possibility of rapid evacuation. The department recommends keeping medications and important documents in an easily accessible location and staying informed about evacuation notices through local emergency alerts and news sources.
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