35 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLauren TurnerBBC News
A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson over the largest of the wildfires that have forced more than 60,000 people to evacuate from the city of Spokane in Washington state.
Three major fires have been burning around the north-western state’s second-most-populous city since the weekend, with firefighters still working to contain the flames.
Aaron Farinacci, 37, was allegedly seen kneeling near grass at the site of the fire and later found to have matches and a lighter, the Spokane County Sheriff said.
More than 700 buildings in the area have been destroyed, with another 400 yet to be assessed, and thousands of acres of land have been burned.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said it was a “nightmare situation”, adding: “This is likely the worst natural disaster in Spokane history.”
The city’s mayor Lisa Brown said there was still “the potential for lives to be lost” and that it was too early to say when people might be able to return home.
No deaths or injuries have been confirmed.
Authorities are trying to make contact with 14 people they have been unable to reach by mobile phone but are not yet considered missing.
Sheriff John Nowels said it was likely many of them did get evacuated but had lost signal or had depleted phone batteries.
The three fires in the city – Old Trails, Fairview and Autumn Lane – are among a total of 16 wildfires in Washington state, according to the state’s department of natural resources.
Firefighters have made progress against two of them but while lighter winds and cooler temperatures have been forecast on Tuesday, temperatures are feared to be rising again later this week.
Farinacci, who was arrested over the Old Trails fire, is being held on a charge of arson in the first degree and held on a $1m (£744,150) bond.
Nowels said the Spokane resident had a previous manslaughter conviction.
ReutersBuildings, including homes and businesses, have been destroyed, with videos from the city showing flames tearing through houses as helicopters fly above, trying to put out the flames.
Resident Anna Andreachi, who has lost her home, told BBC News partner CBS News: “All of our memories are gone.
“My dad just died, and all of his stuff was still in there too.”
One man who saved his home by digging a fire line said he felt “survivor’s guilt” after his neighbour lost theirs.
“We’re going to open our home to our neighbours,” Joe Cvancara said. “I know it’s going to take a long time to rebuild.”
ReutersGovernor Ferguson has issued a statewide ban on all outdoor fires.
Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said: “Our firefighters are already stretched thin across the state, and with more heat and wind expected this weekend and for the rest of the summer, any new spark on our tinder dry landscapes can lead to another devastating wildfire.
“I’m urging all Washingtonians to not be that spark.”
More than 900 firefighters have been assigned to the Washington fires, with reinforcements expected from other states soon.
Scientists have said that human-induced climate change makes the warm, dry conditions that lead to wildfires more likely – as well as leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves and potential summer droughts.
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