SPOKANE, Wash. — New body camera footage released by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office provides a stark look at the chaotic moments when the Spokane Complex Fire forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.
The video shows deputies moving quickly through neighborhoods, warning residents to leave immediately as the fire spread at an alarming rate. In some areas, the flames moved so fast that deputies were going door-to-door alerting people to evacuate while houses just up the street were already engulfed in flames.
“Just drive down this lane until they tell you not to. Go north. We got it all shut down,” a deputy can be heard directing evacuees in the footage.
The footage captures the practical challenges deputies faced during the emergency. In one scene, a deputy helps a woman open her garage door after she lost power, making it possible for her to retrieve her vehicle. In other moments, deputies assist families loading their cars as the fire approaches their homes, working against time to help residents escape.
Recognizing that residents needed multiple escape routes, deputies coordinated with homeowners in affected neighborhoods to open back gates, creating additional pathways for people to drive through and reach safety.
The Spokane Regional Air Support Unit played a critical role in the response by conducting several flights during the evacuation. The aerial unit provided real-time updates on fire movement and spread to firefighters on the ground, helping coordinate the ground response to the rapidly advancing flames.
Despite the stressful circumstances, the Sheriff’s Office noted that all residents it interacted with remained calm during the evacuation process. That composure made it easier for deputies to do their jobs efficiently and effectively.
Fortunately, no deaths were reported as a result of the Spokane Complex Fire.
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