'It looked like a war zone': Spokane residents return home after devastating wildfire

NPR | By Kirk Siegler

Published August 21, 2026 at 4:45 AM EDT

Weeks after a wildfire destroyed hundreds of homes in Spokane, Washington, people are returning home. Big questions remain about whether it's really safe to return.

Kirk Siegler

As a correspondent on NPR's national desk, Kirk Siegler covers rural life, culture and politics from his base in Boise, Idaho.

See stories by Kirk Siegler

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