Major wildfires force evacuations at Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane

The commander of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing has issued a limited evacuation order for personnel and dependents affected by major wildfires burning in Spokane and Stevens counties in eastern Washington state.

“The safety and well-being of our airmen, civilian employees and their families is our absolute highest priority during this crisis,” Col. Brian Epperson said. “We are mobilizing every resource available on the installation to ensure our displaced personnel have safe lodging, immediate support and clear guidance as we navigate this emergency together.”

Wildfires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area while destroying at least 600 homes, businesses and other structures, authorities said Sunday.

Fairchild Air Force Base is located near Airway Heights, about 15 miles west of Spokane. It is home to the Air Force’s largest concentration of KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft.

Washington National Guard Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the state’s adjutant general, said at a news conference Sunday that the fire conditions are the worst he’s seen in his 38-year career.

“When the sun sets and the sun rises, we are going to be in shock,” Welsh said.

Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation orders in the city were issued just before 3:30 p.m., affecting thousands of people within Spokane city limits. Those continued to expand through the afternoon and evening.

The Fairchild AFB evacuation order applies to all military members, Air Force civilian employees, tenant organizations and their families who live in areas with Level 3 evacuation orders from fire officials. The order also extends to dependents of deployed personnel living in and around the base.

All affected personnel must immediately notify their supervisor or chain of command of their evacuation status and physical location to maintain unit accountability.

The order directs eligible individuals to evacuate threatened areas and provides access to government-funded travel and lodging reimbursement. Personnel who previously followed wing leadership’s direction and evacuated in compliance with local authorities on or after Aug. 1 are covered retroactively.

Under the Joint Travel Regulations, evacuated personnel should attempt to book Fairchild lodging first. If base lodging is fully booked, members must obtain a non-availability letter from the lodging office to qualify for off-base reimbursement.

Base officials urge evacuees to retain all receipts for travel voucher processing. Additional details on travel vouchers will be released as they become available.

Displaced families seeking immediate assistance can visit the Emergency Family Assistance Center at the Red Morgan Center, open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Personnel should monitor official Fairchild Air Force Base communication channels for updates.