Spokane Wildfires
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Recent wildfires burned through Spokane, Washington, destroying more than 800 structures, including homes and businesses, and impacting thousands of community members. Alongside our local partner, Veterans Community Response, CORE is delivering vital resources and services to families as they return home and navigate this new reality.
CORE’s Response in Spokane
CORE’s emergency response team deployed to Spokane, Washington, where wildfires devastated entire neighborhoods. Coordinating closely with local partner Veterans Community Response (VCR) – and with support from Save the Children and Good360 – we delivered water, air purifiers, and home cleaning kits to hundreds of families in need, along with cash assistance to help them get back on their feet. Now, with continued support from CORE, VCR is helping protect Spokane homes by trimming trees and clearing dry brush and other flammable vegetation to reduce the impact of future wildfires.
The 2025 Los Angeles fires showed us how long and confusing the road back home can be. Moving forward, we’re prioritizing flexible cash assistance to help families cover housing, bills, and everyday expenses – whatever they need most to get through the months ahead.
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What We Know
Within just two weeks, several wildfires, fueled by high winds and hot, dry weather, burned more than 100,000 acres near Spokane, Washington, the state’s second-largest city. Much like the Palisades and Eaton Fires in Los Angeles, some of these fires went through residential neighborhoods, destroying more than 800 structures, including homes and businesses. The fires displaced tens of thousands of people, and left hundreds of families with nothing but what they could quickly grab as they fled. Beyond the fires themselves, hazardous smoke blanketed the region and posed a serious risk to everyone, especially older residents, children, and people with underlying health conditions.
For hundreds of families in Spokane, home doesn’t look the same anymore. Losing a home and all one’s belongings is destabilizing, and every day brings new uncertainty: finding affordable housing, dealing with insurance claims, and lost income. For those whose homes were spared from the flames, lingering smoke and ash pose a constant health hazard.
Has CORE Responded to Wildfires Before?
CORE has extensive experience responding to wildfires across the United States. Last year, we mobilized after the Los Angeles wildfires – one of the worst disasters in California’s history – to distribute cash, clear debris, and clean smoke-damaged homes. More than a year and a half later, our teams are still helping community members navigate the long road to rebuilding so they can return home.
CORE’s California teams in northern and southern California work year-round to help communities prepare before disaster strikes. That means going door to door to educate residents, assessing individual homes for risk, and doing hands-on defensible space and home hardening work – small but critical steps that can mean the difference between a home that survives a wildfire and one that doesn’t.
Stories
In the aftermath of the devastating Texas Floods, CORE’s emergency response team helped families like Maria’s with critical muck and gut work to safely move back home.
The Texas Floods left longtime San Angelo residents Juan and Alejandra’s home filled with mud and mold. CORE’s muck and gut work was their first step toward recovery.
