Three wildfires burning across Spokane County have scorched more than 10,000 acres and destroyed or damaged roughly 900 structures, making it one of the most destructive fire events in Washington state history, according to the Spokesman-Review and county incident reports.

The Old Trails, Autumn Lane and Fairview fires all broke out around August 1 and have burned largely in tandem since. As of the latest tallies, the Autumn Lane Fire has consumed roughly 5,780 acres and is more than 60% contained; the Old Trails Fire has burned about 3,200 acres with less than half contained; and the Fairview Fire has charred nearly 1,000 acres. Combined, officials say the fires have damaged or destroyed close to 900 homes and other structures, with the Old Trails Fire alone accounting for close to 700 of them.

Tens of Thousands Evacuated

At the peak of the crisis, roughly 60,000 people were ordered out of their homes, according to NPR's coverage of the evacuations. Fire crews, including out-of-state task forces such as Task Force Utah, have been battling the blazes for more than a week under punishing conditions. No deaths have been reported, which officials have called fortunate given the speed at which the fires spread through dense, dry brush on the city's outskirts.

IT DOESN'T SEEM REAL

A man has been charged with first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire, according to local station KREM's reporting, though investigators have not released a motive. The arrest has done little to ease the shock among residents returning to leveled neighborhoods, where entire blocks have been reduced to ash and twisted metal.

A Housing Market Already Under Strain

Local officials are now bracing for the fires' second wave of damage: a housing market that was already tight before nearly 900 structures were lost. Displaced families are competing for a shrinking pool of rentals in a region that had limited vacancy to begin with, and rebuilding is expected to take years given the scale of destruction. State officials have activated additional emergency resources, and federal disaster assistance is being processed for affected households as containment lines continue to hold through the week.