Spokane Wildfire Resources: Where You Can Get Help

The Old Trails, Autumn Lane and Fairview fires, together known as the Spokane Area Fires, tore through Airway Heights, Nine Mile Falls and the Mead/Peone Prairie area starting August 1, 2026. In just over a week, the fires burned more than 10,000 acres, damaged or destroyed over 900 homes and other structures, and forced over 60,000 people from their neighborhoods. Containment is climbing and evacuation levels are being downgraded in many areas, but for hundreds of Inland Northwest families, the hardest part, recovery, is just beginning.

This page brings together the evacuation resources, donation information and recovery steps that have proven most useful to Spokane-area residents so far, in one place. If it’s useful to you, please share it with anyone else who needs it.

What Ford Motor Company Is Doing to Help

Ford is offering direct relief to customers affected by the Spokane Area Fires through its Pacific Northwest Wildfire Disaster Relief Program, which specifically includes Spokane County among the eligible counties. If your vehicle was damaged or destroyed by the fires, you may be eligible for special pricing, equal to Ford’s A-Plan price, plus applicable tax, title, and registration fees, on a new 2025, 2026, or 2027 Ford vehicle purchase or lease. To qualify, you’ll need to provide insurance documentation confirming your vehicle was damaged or lost as a result of the fires. One qualifying purchase or lease is available per damaged or lost vehicle, and select models are excluded. The program runs through September 30, 2026, at participating Ford dealerships.

Separately, Ford has increased its exclusive cash reward for first responders to $1,000, available through September 30, 2026. A big thank you to the firefighters, EMS and law enforcement personnel who’ve been on the front lines of this response. Feel free to reach out to our staff for assistance to determine eligibility, which vehicles qualify and required documentation.

Current Fire Status & Official Safety Resources

Conditions on active wildfires change quickly.  Regional Emergency Communications (SREC) recommends using official local emergency resources first when checking evacuation levels or making decisions about leaving or returning home.

For official evacuation levels and emergency alerts:

• Spokane Regional Emergency Communications (SREC): spokane911.com — the authoritative source for evacuation levels by address
• SREC Evacuation Map: Interactive map lookup by address
• Alert Spokane: Sign up for emergency notifications sent directly to your phone
• Washington DNR Wildfire Portal: Current fire perimeters, acreage and burn restrictions statewide
• Watch Duty app: A helpful guide for tracking fire activity in real time — useful as a supplemental resource, while evacuation decisions should be confirmed through local emergency officials

A general rule fire officials repeat every season: don’t return to an evacuated area until local officials confirm it’s safe, even if the smoke has cleared or the fire appears to have passed. Hot spots and hazard trees can remain dangerous for days after a fire front moves through.

Where to Find Help If You’ve Been Displaced or Lost Your Home

If you or someone you know has been evacuated, displaced, or lost property in the fires, several organizations are actively coordinating assistance across Spokane County:

• Washington Connection – Public Benefits Online: washingtonconnection.org — apply for emergency cash assistance to help meet immediate needs
• Spokane Community Resources: spokanecommunityresources.org — one of the most comprehensive local hubs, compiling information on temporary housing, food, financial assistance, insurance help, transportation, pet resources, medical assistance and mental health support in one place
• Washington 211: dial 2-1-1 (or 1-877-211-9274 if unavailable) to be connected with assistance based on your specific situation, including temporary housing, food and transportation
• City of Spokane’s H.O.M.E. Starts Here Fund: spokanecity.org — every dollar donated goes directly toward meeting immediate needs and supporting recovery for wildfire-affected residents
• Innovia Foundation’s Spokane Complex Wildfire Response Fund: innovia.org/wildfire-response — distributes grants to local nonprofits providing both immediate relief and long-term recovery assistance
• American Red Cross Northwest Region: redcross.org/local/washington — sheltering and disaster relief; hundreds of residents stayed in Red Cross-supported shelters at the Spokane Convention Center in the first days of the fires
• Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington: cceasternwa.org/fire-assistance — emergency response fund covering essential items, housing and counseling for affected families
• STCU Here for Good Foundation: stcu.org — matching community donations dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000 to support wildfire recovery
• Second Harvest: 2-harvest.org — accepting non-perishable food donations for distribution to affected families
• Project Beauty Share: projectbeautyshare.org — collecting new, unopened hygiene items for displaced residents
• SpokAnimal: spokanimal.org — providing temporary care for the pets of people who have evacuated their homes

Spokane County officials have specifically asked residents not to bring unsolicited donations directly to evacuation shelters or incident command posts, since those sites aren’t set up to sort and store donated goods. Organized drop-off locations (including ours, with more below) are the better route for physical donations.

Insurance & Home-Recovery Steps Every Affected Homeowner Should Know

Whether you’ve lost a home entirely or are dealing with smoke, ash or partial damage, a few early steps can make a real difference in how your claim goes:

• Contact your insurance carrier as soon as possible to begin a claim, even if you’re still displaced.
• Ask specifically about Additional Living Expense (ALE) / Loss of Use coverage. Many homeowners and renters policies include funds for temporary housing, meals, laundry, transportation and pet boarding while you’re unable to return home, but you often have to ask about it directly.
• Save every receipt related to being displaced: hotels, meals, clothing, pet boarding and other necessary expenses.
• Document damage before disposing of anything or starting repairs. Photos and video, taken safely, protect your claim.
• Start a home inventory now, even from memory. The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner recommends a simple walkthrough video of every room and your belongings. Store it somewhere accessible even if you can’t get back into your house.
• Take reasonable steps to prevent further damage if it’s safe to do so (tarping a roof, boarding a window) and keep receipts for any emergency repairs.

For more detail, the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner publishes wildfire-specific consumer guidance, and Washington DNR has practical information on defensible space and reducing combustible materials for homes that are still standing but at risk from future fire seasons. It’s worth bookmarking even after this event, since wildfire risk is now a near-annual reality in the Inland Northwest.

➜ If a fire-damaged or totaled vehicle is part of your recovery, our team can walk you through trade-in and replacement options with no pressure.