KABUL (Pajhwok): Massive wildfires have burned more than 250,000 acres of land in the US state of Washington, forcing evacuations, cutting power to tens of thousands of customers and prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency.
Reuters reported that around 4,000 firefighters were battling more than a dozen wildfires across different parts of Washington state.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency and imposed a burn ban on Saturday. Officials said no deaths or injuries had been reported as a result of the fires.
In Spokane, a city of about 230,000 people, the Old Trails Fire had burned around 3,000 acres and threatened nearly 4,000 structures.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said several key facilities, including a water treatment plant, a waste-to-energy facility and a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, had been evacuated.
Officials said around 200 homes in Spokane had been evacuated by Saturday evening, but the number was expected to increase.
Power utility Avista said around 60,000 customers in eastern Washington were without electricity.
State officials warned that strong winds and high temperatures expected in the coming days could make efforts to contain the fires more difficult.
Officials said around 450,000 acres had burned across Washington state since the beginning of summer. The Kaiser Canyon Fire, which had burned around 134,000 acres, was the largest active wildfire in the state.
Firefighters from more than 12 other states, along with the US National Guard, were taking part in efforts to contain the wildfires.
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