Washington’s destructive wildfire outbreak is expected to intensify scrutiny of homeowners insurance availability, policy restrictions and rebuilding protection as tens of thousands of residents assess whether their properties survived.
The fires broke out Saturday, Aug. 1, prompting Gov. Bob Ferguson to declare a statewide emergency and impose a burn ban. As of Aug. 3, around 65,000 people had been ordered to evacuate parts of the state after multiple fires spread rapidly through the Spokane area, destroying approximately 700 buildings and leaving thousands of homes without electricity.
No deaths had been confirmed, though officials said a small number of people flagged during evacuation efforts had not yet been reached, without necessarily meaning they were missing…