{
  "id": 112745,
  "title": "Washington State wildfires destroy over 700 buildings and force 64,000 to flee",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/washington-state-wildfires-destroy-over-700-buildings-and-force-64",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-04T03:28:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Times",
    "slug": "japan-times",
    "url": "https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/04/world/wildfires-washington-state/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Wildfires have been burning in Washington state for weeks, affecting the Spokane area. The fires have forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. According to CBS News, 64,000 people have been displaced.\n\nThe fires have destroyed hundreds of buildings. CBS News reports that over 700 buildings have been destroyed. The situation has been described as the \"worst natural disaster\" the region has faced, according to Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, as cited by CBS News.\n\nThe fires have also had a broader impact, with Japan Times noting that air quality has been degraded across a wide region. The fires began this weekend and are continuing to burn in and around Spokane, the state's second most populous city, as reported by PBS NewsHour Science and PBS NewsHour Health.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "Virulent wildfires raze entire neighbourhoods in Washington state",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/virulent-wildfires-raze-entire-neighbourhoods-in-washington-state",
        "published": "2026-08-03T09:36:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NPR",
        "title": "Washington wildfires destroy homes, force thousands to evacuate",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/washington-wildfires-destroy-homes-force-thousands-to-evacuate",
        "published": "2026-08-03T14:28:44.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Scientific American",
        "title": "Washington's wildfires are a warning for the entire U.S.",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/washingtons-wildfires-are-a-warning-for-the-entire-u-s",
        "published": "2026-08-03T18:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour Health",
        "title": "Wildfires destroy hundreds of buildings, displace tens of thousands in Washington state",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/wildfires-destroy-hundreds-of-buildings-displace-tens-of-thousands-in",
        "published": "2026-08-03T22:40:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Why are the Washington wildfires so severe? Spokane fires explained",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/why-are-the-washington-wildfires-so-severe-spokane-fires-explained",
        "published": "2026-08-04T05:03:44.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}