Northwest wildfires

Wind-driven wildfires have destroyed homes near Beacon Hill in Spokane, on the Palouse south of Spokane and north of Davenport on Sunday afternoon. Thousands of residents have been ordered to flee their homes as firefighters battle the fast-moving blazes. View photos from Monday, Aug. 22, 2016

Section:Gallery

Sun., Aug. 21, 2016

A fast-moving wildfire approaches homes on the north side of Beacon Hill, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016, in Spokane.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
A plane drops a load fire retardant on the north side of Beacon Hill, Sunday, Aug 21, 2016. The fast moving wildfire is threatening structures as it moves in a north-easterly direction.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Smoke from the Beacon Hill fire.

Rob Curley
A helicopter flies by surveying the Beacon Hill fire.
Smoke rises from the Beacon Hill fire.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review
Firefighters stage near a home surrounded by fire on North Thierman Road.

Craig Goodwin Courtesy
A free burns near a home on North Thierman Road.

Craig Goodwin Courtesy
A plane drops a load fire retardant on the north side of Beacon Hill, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016. The fast moving wildfire is threatening structures as it moves in a north-easterly direction.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Fire surrounds a house on North Thierman Road, south of Bigelow Gulch road.

Craig Goodwin Courtesy
A plane drops a load of fire retardant near homes west of Thierman Road on Beacon Hill, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Spectators look south from Orchard Road as they observe the Beacon Hill Fire, Sunday, Aug., 21, 2016.

Colin Mulvany The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
The wildfire that started in the Spangle area sent a huge plume of smoke over Spokane’s South Hill.

Rob Curley
Geoff Pinnock took this panoramic photo of the Yale fire from the Palouse Highway and Baltimore Road.

Geoff Pinnock The Spokesman-Review
A small fire fighting aircraft flies over the command center on Yale Road as firefighters attack a fire that swept through farm country north of Spangle. The fire is believed to have been started by a downed powerline. As of 6 p.m., the fire was estimated at 2500 acres.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
A wildland fire moves through the rolling hills of the Palouse just south of Spokane.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review
Firefighters stage in a farm field along Yale Road Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016 as a fire, caused by a downed powerline, swept across more than 2500 acres north of Spangle and east of Highway 195.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
A small firefighting aircraft drops its load as it crosses a ridge on the Palouse Sunday, August 21, 2016 in farm country north of Spangle and east of Highway 195.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Tanker trucks, many from farflung fire districts, refill their tanks in a farm field along Yale Rd., Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016. The fire that swept through farm country south of Spokane was at 2500 acres at 6 PM Sunday night.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Local residents watch the fire from across a farm field and standby to help, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016. The fire that swept through farm country covered more than 2500 acres Sunday night.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
In the aftermath of the fire that swept through a rural area south of Spokane, firefighters sent a back up burn to get rid of fuels on the ground, Sunday, August 21, 2016.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
In the aftermath of a fire that started from a downed power line, JJ Anderson (cq) uses a rake to put out hot spots on the property of his brother, PJ Anderson along Yale Rd. northeast of Spangle, Washington, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016. His brother's home was spared. Others were not so lucky.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Smoke can be seen from Hart Road about a mile east of Highway 25.

Daniel Moldrem
Rob Harper was out on a boat on the Spokane River with his wife when the Hart Road firfire approached. He said he was a few miles upstream from the Porcupine Bay boat launch.

Rob Harper
Rob Harper was out on a boat on the Spokane River with his wife when the Hart Road firfire approached. He said he was a few miles upstream from the Porcupine Bay boat launch.

Rob Harper
Rob Harper was out on a boat on the Spokane River with his wife when the Hart Road firfire approached. He said he was a few miles upstream from the Porcupine Bay boat launch.

Rob Harper
Rob Harper was out on a boat on the Spokane River with his wife when the Hart Road firfire approached. He said he was a few miles upstream from the Porcupine Bay boat launch.

Rob Harper