Evacuation orders issued for Spokane residents due to wildfire

SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane residents near the Upriver fire are being urged to evacuate.

6/16/26 248p @scfd8 firefighters currently working on the #upriverfire pic.twitter.com/KmllMBbh6B
— Spokane Co.FD8 Firefighters (@spokaneco8_3711) June 16, 2026

Level 3 “Go Now”evacuation orders have been issued for residents between E. Bigelow Gulch Rd. and the Spokane River. Level 2 “Be Set” orders have been given for residents in the surrounding area.

UPDATED Level Evacuations.

Link to Evacuation Map: https://t.co/6UoiT5UU4r #UpriverFire #SCSO #SpokaneCOunty #SpokaneValley #Spokane https://t.co/0gZl3bi0Hx pic.twitter.com/Ann53M6pjH
— SpokaneSheriffOffice (@SpokaneSheriff) June 16, 2026

Aircraft are dropping water and retardant on the fire, Spokane Valley Fire reported.

Multiple aircraft are actively dropping water and retardant on the #UpriverFire, with helicopters refilling from the Spokane River as crews work to slow the fire’s spread.

Please stay off the water and away from the area so aircraft can operate safely.#SVFD pic.twitter.com/VB3GkJWVLo
— Spokane Valley Fire (@SpokaneValleyFD) June 16, 2026

Officials are asking people to stay off the water and away from the area so aircraft can operate safely.

The fire is burning approximately 230 acres at Beacon Hill and has threatened around 500 homes, according to The Spokesman-Review. Some homes have been lost.

This is a developing story.

This story was originally published on mynorthwest.com.