A wildfire in eastern Washington has forced the evacuation of about 1,500 people and destroyed at least 15 homes, officials said Wednesday. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office announced that its forensic unit found what appeared to be human remains inside a home destroyed in the fire.

Evacuation Efforts

Many people living in the densely populated neighborhoods had to flee on a moment’s notice, sometimes after an officer knocked on their door, leaving behind belongings and in some cases, critical medications, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said during a news conference.

People were being escorted Wednesday by an officer to their homes one-by-one to access those essential needs, but then they were taken back out, Nowels said. The evacuation order for the 1,500 residents remained in effect Wednesday, said Chandra Fox, deputy director for Spokane County Emergency Management.

Firefighting Efforts

Fire crews from Washington state and Idaho attacked the fire from the ground and air, but it quickly grew to 225 acres. It was 10% contained Wednesday morning, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Wednesday that they authorized the use of Fire Management Assistance Grant funds to help with firefighting costs for the Spokane blaze. The regional FEMA director said the fire had the potential to constitute a major disaster.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.