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Spokane-area official says many evacuated neighborhoods will stay closed for weeks; limited zone reductions announced
Summary
An agency official representing Spokane-area public safety explained that active fires, airborne hazards and an approaching weather event mean many evacuated areas will remain closed for weeks; officials said they will reduce some level 3 zones to level 2 in limited areas but cautioned changes depend on weather and containment.
An agency official speaking on behalf of Spokane County, the sheriff’s office, the Spokane Police Department and the city of Spokane said the priority is preserving life and warned residents not to expect immediate re-entry to many evacuated neighborhoods. "I want our public to understand that those burn areas are absolutely not safe for people to be in," the agency official said, urging patience while firefighters and incident teams secure hot spots.
The official announced limited adjustments to evacuation designations, saying, "Some level 3 areas will be reduced to level 2," but stressed those reductions are small and conditional on weather and containment lines. He estimated that it will be "weeks" before burned and immediately affected areas are safe for re-entry. The official pointed to a recent wind-driven event that exposed about 2,500 homes and reported that roughly a third of structures were destroyed, using that damage to explain the cautious timeline.
