Old Trails Fire (SPOKANE)
Satellite image: NASA MODIS (infrared — active fire in orange/red, from yesterday).
Heat detections: NASA FIRMS (last 48h).
The Old Trails Fire, an active wildfire burning at the northwestern edge of Spokane, Washington, has scorched roughly 2,500 acres since igniting on August 1, 2026, and keeps growing as strong winds push it toward residential neighborhoods. Authorities have ordered Level 3 evacuations across the area and requested very large air tankers (VLATs) as the fire throws spot fires ahead of its main front.
Satellites have logged about 20 heat detections nearby over the past 48 hours, the signature of a fast-moving front in a region whose fire season typically runs from June to October. It is one of several blazes that broke out near Spokane within hours, straining the local emergency response.
The event fits a wider national picture: roughly 2,386,397 hectares have burned across the United States so far in 2026, about 56% below the two-decade average, even as fires like this one force entire communities to flee.
In context
This wildfire has been burning in SPOKANE for 1 day. So far it has affected roughly 2,500 acres — about 10 km².
In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.
The bigger picture in United States
Across United States, roughly 2,386,397 hectares have burned so far in 2026 — 56% below the two-decade average. Data from Copernicus GWIS.
We'll email you if it grows, containment advances, or it ends.
No account. One-click unsubscribe. · Privacy
Community reports
Reports from people near the fire · unverified
Not official emergency information. In an emergency, contact fire services/authorities.