A fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire in Spokane, Washington, has forced nearly 12,000 residents to flee their homes as emergency crews struggle to contain the Upriver fire.
The situation shifted into a recovery operation after a relative contacted authorities to express concern for a resident who had explicitly refused to leave the property.
Tuesday, though the fire had already been burning for several hours by that point.
The ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos report indicates that the fire moved so rapidly that deputies had to enter homes with unlocked doors to search for residents who had not yet fled.
Historical fire data for Eastern Washington indicates that late-season dryness often turns suburban landscaping and small timber stands into "ladder fuels" that allow ground fires to reach the crowns of trees.
Nearly 12,000 residents flee wind-driven Upriver fire in Spokane as authorities find remains in a home where a resident refused to evacuate.