Spokane Wildfires: Resources and Ways to Help

Team WHCA continues to express our heartfelt appreciation and concern for all those who are being impacted by the devastating wildfires in Spokane. We know many of our member facilities, as well as thousands of other Spokane residents, are dealing with extraordinary challenges and uncertainty.

Additional Resources for Employers

The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce has posted a Spokane Wildfire Employee Resource Guide that businesses are encouraged to share with employees.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Resilience Hub has resources for employers.

How to Help

If you are outside of Spokane and are looking for ways to provide support to those who are affected, Greater Spokane Inc. and the City of Spokane have posted resources and ways to help those impacted by the wildfires:

• The Innovia Foundation has opened the Spokane Complex Wildfire Response Fund. Donations to the fund will support nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community organizations working to meet the needs of those impacted.
• The City of Spokane H.O.M.E. Starts Here Fund is accepting donations to support individuals and families affected by the ongoing wildfires.
• Catholic Charities Eastern Washington has set up an emergency fund to help support individuals and families.
• Spokanimal is accepting donations of dog, cat, kitten & puppy food, and blankets and towels. They are also seeking foster homes for animals displaced by the fires. Humane Evacuation Animal Rescue Team (HEART) is collecting monetary donations to help animals affected.

Resources for employers and employees: The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce has posted a Spokane Wildfire Employee Resource Guide that businesses are encouraged to share with employees. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Resilience Hub has resources for employers.

If you are outside of Spokane and looking for ways to provide support, Greater Spokane Inc. and the City of Spokane have posted resources and ways to help. We have also included some pertinent articles below that may assist you and your facility in staying up to date on the situation.

Medically vulnerable populations relied on evacuation plans, STA during Saturday’s wildfires in Spokane
August 3, 2026, The Spokesman-Review, by Kip Hill
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/aug/03/medically-vulnerable-populations-relied-on-evacuat/
“Joyce Miller, 89, was preparing for dinner at her home at Fairwood Retirement Village on Saturday afternoon when she got a call from her daughter…
Though Miller left in the vehicle of a relative, the Spokane Transit Authority helped get out other residents. Many of those forced to leave found their way to the American Red Cross shelter at the Spokane Convention Center downtown… Miller is making due without her cellphone and hearing aid charger at her son’s house until cleared to return to Fairwood. The magnitude of the disaster hit her quickly when she smelled that smoke, she said.”

Wildfires near Spokane have burned thousands of acres and displaced many more
August 3, 2026, NPR, by Kirk Siegler, Ailsa Chang
https://www.npr.org/2026/08/03/nx-s1-5918050/wildfires-near-spokane-have-burned-thousands-of-acres-and-displaced-many-more
“Absolutely. These fires aren’t even contained. And there are just some incredible stories of people evacuating. In that crowd, Ailsa, you know, looking for answers was a man named Don Simpson. He tells me he helped evacuate a nursing home, which was right by his apartment, and he was putting older folks in the back of his pickup and racing away from the flames.”

Spokane wildfires force over 60K to evacuate; hundreds of homes burn
August 2, 2026, The Seattle Times, by Isabella Breda, Joseph O’Sullivan, and Conrad Swanson
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/spokane-wildfires-force-over-60k-to-evacuate-hundreds-of-homes-burn/
“Gas leaks across the city’s northern neighborhoods ignited and flared as Avista utility crews worked nearby. Water gushed from broken pipes. People sidestepped roadblocks to see smoldering remains. In some areas, only chimneys were left standing. Roofs, fences and pavement dripped red with fire retardant. Empty wheelchairs sat outside of the Brookdale Nine Mile Alzheimer’s and dementia care facility.”

Old Trails fire destruction and evacuees
August 2, 2026, The Spokesman-Review, by Kathy Plonka
https://www.spokesman.com/galleries/2026/aug/02/old-trails-fire-destruction-and-evacuees/
“He’s 92 tomorrow,” says Shari Johnson, right about her Uncle Bob Tesch, being pushed by her husband Brenard Johnson at the Spokane Convention Center on Sunday, August 2, 2026. Bob Tesh was evacuated from his private nursing home because of the fires.

We hope that conditions improve quickly, and WHCA urges our members to reach out if there is any way we can offer support at this time.