Spokane Wildfire Survivors Return to 'Hazmat Situation'

SPOKANE, Wash. — Most evacuees from wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes in and around Spokane have been allowed to return to the burn zones, but city officials say the areas remain dangerous.

"While folks are allowed to go back into those areas there is still a hazmat situation going on," said Sarah Nuss, the city's director of emergency management. "The burned houses and damaged places are going to have things like lithium ion batteries, hazardous chemicals."

The Old Trails Fire, suspected to have been started by an arsonist, was one of three blazes ignited during an extreme heat and wind event in early August. It leveled whole neighborhoods after jumping the Spokane River.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has just arrived to begin removing toxic debris, including lead paint siding and exploded propane tanks. That first phase of recovery can take months or years.

Nuss said the city has no legal authority to keep residents out of the burn zone and is instead focused on documenting risks and educating homeowners. Officials have posted signs urging people whose homes are still standing to wear protective gear, get their properties inspected and flush their water pipes, since wildfire contamination of water systems is common.

Melissa and Chris Matthews lost nearly everything, including their Prius, reduced to a twisted hunk of metal. "When we turned onto our road, Old Fort Drive, I said it looked like a bomb went off here," Melissa said. Chris said he expects rebuilding to take three or four years.

History suggests that timeline may be optimistic. A year after urban wildfires in Colorado and Hawaii, no homes had been fully rebuilt, and three years after California's Camp Fire, only 14% of the burned zone had been reconstructed.

Andrew Whelton, an environmental engineer at Purdue University who has advised recovery efforts in Paradise, California, and after Los Angeles's Eaton and Palisades fires, said Spokane should push for thorough soil testing even after debris is cleared. "If you don't test for it, you won't know that there's a hazard still on your property," he said.

With most affordable hotels booked and federal aid not yet arrived, many residents whose homes survived have little choice but to move back in despite lingering smoke and dust. "Everything I love about this place is gone," said Don Simpson, who watched a fire crew cut down a charred ponderosa pine near his apartment.