If you've evacuated because of the Spokane Area Fires — Old Trails, Fairview, or Autumn Lane — or you live nearby, this page will help guide you through your immediate to-dos, with support from people who've been through it before.
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There is nothing more natural or expected than the pull to home, no matter what state it may be in. If your home was in an evacuation zone of any kind, or bordering one, there's a higher than average chance ash and debris fell on your property and got inside — through your windows, or into your HVAC.
Contamination of any kind can be observed if you see ash that has come in through your doors and windows or you can smell smoke indoors.
Go back wearing proper PPE — Tyvek suit, gloves, mask, eye protection. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Document everything, thoroughly, before you clean.
If you see visible ash and debris, or if your home smells like smoke, keep the housing you currently have as you begin to work with your insurance company.
File your insurance claim.
Ask for independent testing to be performed for clearance testing of your home.
Important: an insurance adjuster is not qualified to tell you if you do or do not have smoke damage or contamination in your home. Both urgency and insurers can push you towards a fast wipe down when what's needed could be greater.
Tyvek suits, gloves, a P100 respirator, eye protection and booties are what is defined as proper PPE to return after an urban wildfire. If a P100 is out of reach, an N95 is the floor, not cloth and not a surgical mask.
The American Red Cross is providing kits to any resident with ID, and they're free. You can collect one at a re-entry point before you go back in.
Please don't go back if you're pregnant, immunocompromised, an older adult, or bringing children or pets. There is nothing there today that's worth it, and someone else can take the photographs.
If anyone in your household has chemical sensitivities, asthma or another respiratory illness, or is immunocompromised, tell your insurance adjuster now and talk to your doctor before anyone moves back in. Water used to fight a fire causes mold, and mold plus fine soot is harder on those bodies than on others. That's a conversation worth having before you're standing in it.
Look at your window frames and sills, your door thresholds, and the vents and returns for your heating and cooling. Ash that got inside usually shows up in those places first. You can see all of it without putting a hand on any of it.
If you see ash or debris, don't touch it and don't clean it. Not on the first day back. What it is determines how it has to be handled, and that answer comes from testing rather than from looking.
This is the one people do by reflex, walking in and reaching for the thermostat.
If there's soot in your ducts, switching on the fan takes everything that settled in there and blows it back through every room in the house — including the rooms that were fine. It may need professional cleaning and inspection before it runs again safely.
And if it has been on the entire time you've been away, please turn it off and don't sleep there until your ducts have been checked for debris and ash — especially if you see ash inside your home or if your home smells like smoke.
Either way, document what you can see and then leave — that's true whether you rent or own.
Photograph every room, wide shots and close ones, and video walking through if you can manage that. This is your insurance record if you need it, and the "before" only exists once.
Smoke gets through ordinary packaging. Anything in paper, cardboard or plastic isn't safe to eat, even when the box looks untouched.
Before any of it goes in the bin, photograph it and write down what was there. Food is part of your contents claim, and groceries thrown out without a photograph are money you can't ask for. It feels absurd to stand in the middle of all this photographing cereal boxes. Do it anyway — it's one of the few parts of a claim that's easy to prove and easy to lose.
Anything that lost power for more than a couple of hours goes as well, along with anything left open to smoke.
If you have EBT benefits, you are eligible for this contaminated food to be replaced, just reach out to them.
If you saw ash or debris, fill out the Washington Military Department's Residential Damage Self-Assessment Survey.
It's how households get counted, and the count is what the state uses to make its case for a major disaster declaration — the one that opens Individual Assistance. When it asks about your level of impact, "don't know" and "still evacuated" are real answers. They're honest, and your household still gets counted.
One thing to know so you don't get caught out: filling this out is not applying for assistance. It doesn't register you for anything, state or federal. When applications open, you still apply.
If you haven't opened a claim, now is the time.
Ask specifically about Additional Living Expenses — sometimes called loss of use. That's the part of your policy meant for what you're spending while you can't be home, and the clock on it started the day of the loss, not the day you call. What it actually covers is bounded by your policy, usually as a dollar limit, a number of months, or both, so ask for your limit in those terms and get the answer in writing. Ask what documentation they want for the housing you're in right now.
It's completely fine to tell them health and safety information is still coming out and you'll update them as you know more. You don't have to have answers you don't have yet.
Then get off the phone and email them a summary of what was said. Paper trails are the most useful thing you can build in an insurance claim, and the sooner you start one, the more of a habit it becomes.
Testing matters more than anything else on this page, and it's worth knowing who is qualified to do it.
That person is a certified industrial hygienist, and what they do is swab surfaces for soot, char and ash or take air samples for what wildfire smoke leaves behind.
Ask your insurer for that report before any remediation and again after. You aren't required to use the tester or the contractor they send you — Washington's Office of the Insurance Commissioner is clear you can choose your own licensed contractor — and if they won't cover the testing, some people pay for it and submit for reimbursement.
Ask for sampling room by room instead of one combined sample for the house. A mixed sample can average one bad room into a number that looks fine.
Your home is confirmed livable by the report that comes after remediation, not by how it looks or how it smells. If the first round doesn't clear, another round is ordinary. Which is why step 3 up there is what it is: hold the housing you have. Don't hand back the room while you're waiting on results, and plan for this in months rather than weeks.
Keep the shoes and clothes you wore out of wherever you're sleeping. Ideally they get washed right away and don't go in with anything clean.
Find the other households dealing with the same thing. It's the hardest-won lesson out of Los Angeles: the people in the same fight will tell you what actually worked, and they'll tell you faster than anyone official can.
If you need someone tonight, 988 picks up. The Disaster Distress Helpline is 1-800-985-5990. For local resources, 211.
On August 3, the President approved a federal emergency declaration for Washington (EM-3650). It covers six counties and three tribal nations, Spokane among them. Every member of the state's congressional delegation, both parties, had signed a letter asking for it to be approved quickly. That aid matters — and it's not yet the declaration that opens help for your household.
The emergency declaration pays for the response itself — crews, equipment, evacuation, coordination. That money goes to the agencies doing the work to keep people safe. There's no application open to individuals yet. If you've seen a headline since August 3 saying federal assistance was approved for Washington, this is what it's describing.
The declaration that opens assistance to individual households is a major disaster declaration. On August 4, the Governor's office said it is preparing that request. If and when it comes, we'll walk you through how to submit, break down why certain questions are asked the way they are, and help you get your application on its way. Don't forget to sign up for PostFire updates.
Until then, the support that already exists: your insurance, the Red Cross and 211, and state and local programs. Those don't wait on Washington, D.C.
Status as of Aug 6, 2026, 8:24 AM PT
You are not expected to know how to do this, and you do not have to do everything at once. We've broken out your immediate steps and we will follow up with what is next. The best thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones is get somewhere stable and safe, eat, and focus on getting some sleep tonight.
Find a place you can stay two weeks or more, if you can. Rents rise immediately after a fire, and needing to move multiple times in a week can cost you precious energy your nervous system needs.
Save every receipt. If you have insurance, these costs can be reimbursed through a specific provision in your policy (we'll explain more below).
Spokane County Emergency Management is where evacuation levels, re-entry, and assistance center locations get announced first. Sign up for Alert Spokane so those alerts reach your phone.
If you don't already have the Watch Duty app, download it to your phone now — real-time fire updates and evacuation orders for this area, and it's free.
To find out where your own address stands, use the county's evacuation lookup map. You type in your address and it tells you your current level. It's the same tool the emergency officials are using.
If your address comes back Level 3, don't go back yet. The fires are still burning and the lines are still moving.
A Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) is one building where the agencies come to you — IDs, titles, vital records, one trip. One is open now at Shadle Park High School; the address and hours are in the resources below. Leave your email and we will send you updates.
Is this page official? No — and that's exactly why we point you to what is.
If you know your home is gone, or if your home is uninhabitable, call your insurer and open the claim. Ask for an advance on temporary housing money — on the phone, the words are “Additional Living Expenses” or “Loss of Use.” Ask in writing, and keep a copy of what you sent.
That coverage has a limit — sometimes a dollar amount, sometimes a number of months, sometimes both — and the clock on it started the day of the fire, not the day you call. Ask what your limit is and get the answer in writing, because it is the number that should decide whether you take a hotel or sign a lease.
If you can't pay your insurance premium right now, you have time. Washington's Insurance Commissioner has ordered every property and auto insurer in the state to give you a 45-day grace period, waive late fees, and not cancel your policy for nonpayment. It runs through September 30 and covers any zip code where homes burned or evacuation orders went out, plus the zip codes next to them.
You don't have to apply for this — it's on the insurer, not on you. If one tells you otherwise, call the Insurance Commissioner's office at 1-800-562-6900.
United Policyholders is a nonprofit that helps survivors navigate through the insurance process, for free. Watch out for anyone who wants a cut
If you need basics, go ahead and buy them. Keep your receipts for everything.
And if there are items that would make you feel most like you can establish any kind of routine, or feel like yourself, get them if you can.
We're packaging Washington resources right now. Leave your email and we'll send you what you need, as it becomes relevant. We coordinate with other organizations and experts on wildfire recovery — you can see some more of our partners here.
After every fire, the scammers arrive before the insurance checks do. These are the ways they come into a community:
They show up in burn zones within days, often unlicensed and often from out of state, wanting a large cash deposit and a signature today. Verify anyone before you sign with Washington Labor & Industries' free contractor lookup (lni.wa.gov).
Real disaster workers never charge you a fee, and never need your bank account or Social Security number to "process" your assistance. They carry photo ID, and you are allowed to ask to see it.
Displaced families are the target: a good price, a landlord who is conveniently out of town, and a deposit wired before anyone sees the place. Don't send money for a home you haven't walked through.
Some public adjusters are licensed and legitimate. Many who work a fresh burn zone are neither, and they want a cut of your settlement. Check the license with the Insurance Commissioner before anyone touches your claim — and remember United Policyholders does this for free.
Urgent links, copied photos, and names built to sound almost like a real organization. Give only through organizations and people you can verify.
If anyone asks for money up front to do their work, be wary. You have time to figure out debris removal.
Water testing, mold, air quality — a free look that turns into an urgent, costly finding and a contract to sign right now. Get a second opinion from someone who isn't selling the fix.
If you feel uncomfortable with pressure that someone offering help is putting you under, trust your gut. Real help doesn't rush you.
To report one, file with the Washington Attorney General.
Money raised for a specific purpose can create a “duplication of benefits” problem: if a fundraiser says it's for the same thing FEMA or your insurance is paying for, it can affect what you're eligible for.
Wording that works: “Funds to help bridge the gap while I recover.”
Wording to avoid: “to rebuild the house,” “to cover rent or hotel costs,” “to replace everything lost,” “to fix the property.”
Someone who loves you can create the fundraiser for you — you don't have to write your own story while you're in the middle of it. Ask them to add you as a beneficiary so the money comes straight to you.
This isn't something you have to handle today. It matters the moment someone offers to start clearing your lot — and knowing it now is what keeps that conversation from going sideways.
Under Washington rules, what's left of a burned structure counts as demolition, and demolition means an asbestos survey before the debris is removed. Older homes are the usual reason — it was used in siding, roofing, floor tile, and pipe insulation, and fire doesn't destroy it. The EPA has been authorized to test burn sites for hazardous materials, this is not something you need to schedule if you have had a total loss.
An AHERA-certified building inspector samples the ash across your lot in a grid and sends it to a lab. If it comes back clean, you or your contractor file a Notice of Intent with Spokane Clean Air — the filing fee is waived — and that survey report is what lets the debris be taken as non-asbestos. If it comes back positive, the area gets taped off until a certified abatement company removes it.
That Notice of Intent number is also what the County needs before it will issue a demolition permit, so the survey isn't a detour around the permit — it's the way to it.
Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency wrote this guidance for fire-damaged homes and they answer the phone at (509) 477-4727, Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 4:30. If a contractor tells you the survey isn't necessary, that call settles it.
If someone wants to start hauling before the survey is done, that is your signal to slow down — and getting more than one quote for abatement is normal, not rude.
Nobody can make you sign today.
Tzu Chi USA has opened emergency financial assistance to Washington wildfire families. Renters and homeowners both. It has to have been your primary residence, it has to have been destroyed or badly damaged, and it's one application per household.
If something about your situation doesn't fit the form, email relief-nc@tzuchi.us and ask before you decide you don't qualify.
The evacuation shelter is at the Spokane Convention Center, 334 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane. Parking is free, and pets are welcome.
If you evacuated from south Stevens County, the Red Cross has a second shelter at Jenkins High School in Chewelah.
To check what's open before you drive, call the Red Cross at (509) 783-6195. The shelter at Spokane Falls Community College closed on August 1 — everyone there moved to the Convention Center.
Shelters move — this is current as of August 3. Check with Spokane County Emergency Management before you go.
The Barking Lot is accepting pets from people evacuating — 15825 E Trent Ave, Spokane Valley. Call (509) 564-6066 to check availability before you drive.
For large animals, the Spokane County Fairgrounds is open — use the red gate off Broadway. The RV grounds there are open too, for people who evacuated with animals.
SpokAnimal is boarding displaced pets for free at 710 N. Napa St.
If you can't care for your animal right now, SpokAnimal's Guardian Angel Program is who to call — (509) 534-8133. Asking for help with your pet is not the same as giving them up.
If your pet is missing, check with SpokAnimal, SCRAPS, and the vet clinics near where you were. Your neighborhood Facebook and Nextdoor groups are active for this too, and they're working.
Free pet food and supplies are at the Garland Theater & Bon Bon, 924 W. Garland Ave.
Live fire status and evacuation information for this area.
DAC/LAC locations, re-entry timing, and local orders are announced there first.
A Disaster Assistance Center is open:
Shadle Park High School
4327 N. Ash St.
Thursday, Aug. 6, Noon to 6 p.m.
Aug. 7-9, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The AirNow Fire and Smoke Map shows current smoke and air quality wherever you are — useful whether you evacuated or stayed. Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency issues the local alerts.
Smoke reaches far past the burn area. If the air is bad where you're staying, keep windows closed, run a filter if you have one, and keep kids and anyone with asthma or heart conditions indoors.
988 is free, 24 hours a day, and you do not have to be in crisis to call it.
Send them this page. It covers what actually helps, what to say, and how to give money without affecting your insurance or FEMA claim — so you don't have to explain it yourself.
Dial 2-1-1 for local help: shelter, food, and what's open near you.
Free, nonprofit help with your insurance claim. Start with their “Roadmap to Recovery.”
A national nonprofit that has worked with every megafire community in the country. They are publishing for this fire too — afterthefireusa.org, Instagram, Facebook.
You don't have to hold all of this in your head. Enter your email and we will send you updates as guidance evolves.
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