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Sheriff urges evacuations as early counts show dozens to potentially hundreds of structures lost
Summary
Sheriff John Knowles warned Spokane County residents to heed Level 3 evacuation orders, said accurate structure counts are unavailable but a low estimate is about 50 structures and could exceed 100, and urged the public to stay out of evacuation zones to allow firefighters to work.
Sheriff John Knowles told the board that evacuations are ongoing and that many residents are under Level 3 orders, asking the public to "heed these evacuation orders" because people are still choosing not to evacuate. He said law enforcement and fire crews are contending with dynamic conditions and that public cooperation is critical to first-responder safety and evacuation operations.
On early damage estimates, Knowles said officials do not have accurate numbers but that a fire chief suggested a low estimate of about 50 structures lost so far and that the true total "could be well more than a 100." He emphasized that counts remain uncertain because crews are focused on firefighting and access to affected areas is limited. The sheriff asked residents in Level 2 zones to be prepared to leave and reminded people to call law enforcement if they see suspicious activity in impacted areas.
