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Gone quiet · last update Sep 28, 2026 / Spokane

The Spokane wildfires and the man charged with setting them

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

In August 2026 wildfires in Spokane County, Washington, destroyed hundreds of structures and forced thousands of people to evacuate in what authorities called the largest natural disaster in the county's history.[1] A man charged with setting one of them, the Old Trails Fire, had a prior manslaughter conviction.[2] President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration, and in September Gov. Bob Ferguson sought a major disaster declaration for the state's summer fires.[3][4]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

A man charged with setting one of them, the Old Trails Fire, had a prior manslaughter conviction.[2] President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration, and in September Gov. Bob Ferguson sought a major disaster declaration for the state's summer fires.[3][4]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-07-27 (UTC): 5%, 30 of 561 tracked outlets (8 left, 16 center, 6 right)Week of 2026-08-03 (UTC): 18%, 97 of 537 tracked outlets (25 left, 50 center, 22 right)Week of 2026-08-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 476 tracked outlets (0 left, 2 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings.We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 4 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (3 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Sep 28, 20260213 of 4761%
Aug 3, 202625502297 of 53718%
Jul 27, 2026816630 of 5615%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Sep 28, 2026 · first reported · Headline from The Columbian

    Washington submits federal disaster declaration for summer wildfires

Background

Community groups collected donations for those affected,[5] and the Federal Emergency Management Agency made aid available.[3] Firefighters described brutal conditions and moments when their own safety was in doubt,[6] as strong winds challenged crews across the Pacific Northwest.[7]

Supporting stories (7)
  1. Firefighters get a handle on Spokane wildfires as tens of thousands remain evacuated
  2. Man charged with arson in Spokane, Washington, told police he planned wildfire for weeks
  3. President Trump approves emergency declaration for Washington State amid Spokane Area Fires
  4. Gov. Bob Ferguson requests Major Disaster Declaration for Spokane wildfire devastation
  5. How to donate to help victims of the Spokane Complex wildfires
  6. Frontline firefighters in Spokane say the fires are like nothing they've ever seen before
  7. Dangerous fire weather continues in the Northwest as crews work to contain Spokane blazes

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 7 recorded updates

September 2026

  1. Gov. Bob Ferguson requests Major Disaster Declaration for Spokane wildfire devastationHeadline from Q13fox · 3 outlets

August 2026

  1. Frontline firefighters in Spokane say the fires are like nothing they've ever seen beforeHeadline from WTSP Tampa · 7 outlets
  2. Dangerous fire weather continues in the Northwest as crews work to contain Spokane blazesHeadline from KTVZ Bend · 8 outlets
  3. President Trump approves emergency declaration for Washington State amid Spokane Area FiresHeadline from KREM Spokane · 4 outlets
  4. Man charged with arson in Spokane, Washington, told police he planned wildfire for weeksHeadline from The Republic · 85 outlets
  5. How to donate to help victims of the Spokane Complex wildfiresHeadline from KING 5 Seattle · 3 outlets
  6. Firefighters get a handle on Spokane wildfires as tens of thousands remain evacuatedHeadline from Daily Journal · 66 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →