Wildfire in eastern Washington prompts evacuations and destroys home

The Upriver Fire was burning about a mile east of Spokane and had burned 222 acres by late Wednesday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

High winds drove a wildfire into an eastern Washington neighborhood, forcing the evacuation of about 1,500 people and destroying at least 15 homes, officials said Wednesday.

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The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that its forensic unit found what appeared to be human remains inside a home destroyed in the fire. A family member had requested a wellness check because one of the residents had refused to evacuate and could not be reached, officials said in a news release.

They were working to confirm whether the remains were in fact human, and if so, identify who they were and how they died.