Kathmandu— Wildfires near Spokane, Washington, have forced the evacuation of 60,000 people and destroyed at least 600 homes, businesses, and other structures. The fires, part of a larger outbreak across the Western U.S., burned about 8.2 square miles over the weekend and are among dozens stretching federal, state, and local agencies' resources.

Evacuations and Damage

Firefighters continue to battle blazes in and around Spokane, which is Washington’s second-largest city. The fires have not been contained, with some areas still at risk despite no reports of injuries or missing persons so far. Officials are particularly concerned about the U.S. Veterans Affairs hospital patients who were among those evacuated.

Video footage from the area shows buildings engulfed in flames and black smoke billowing over neighborhoods. Several officials expressed worry that the region is unlikely to receive relief from dry weather conditions, making the next few days challenging.

Regional Impact

Spokane was not alone in facing severe wildfires. In western Idaho and eastern Oregon, a fire has burned nearly 525 square miles of grassland, threatening over 600 homes and 800 other structures. The cause of the blaze was lightning strikes.

In central Utah, another massive fire more than doubled in size to about 56 square miles by Sunday morning, killing more than 100 cattle. The fire is moving north toward Fillmore, a town with around 2,600 residents, prompting mandatory evacuations for the southern portion of the city.

Weather Challenges

High winds and dry conditions are complicating firefighting efforts in Spokane. Wind gusts up to 45 mph were expected Sunday afternoon, pushing fires through steep canyons and making containment difficult. The National Weather Service issued red flag fire warnings for parts of Utah and Montana, along with extreme heat warnings for southern Arizona, California, Nevada, and northern Montana.

(With inputs from AP)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.