October 14, 2026
Wildfire History for Eastern Washington: The Spokane Complex Fires in Context
Dr. Lauren Stachowiak – Professor, Geosciences Department, Eastern Washington University
Fire is a natural environmental phenomenon in most terrestrial ecosystems, and regular low- to mixed-intensity wildfire activity is required to preserve the mixed conifer, pine-dominated forests of eastern Washington. Tree-ring based fire history reconstructions from past studies and recent work at Riverside State Park indicate these types of fires were once common on the landscape every 7-10 years, and in some places even more frequently. However, post European-colonization, fire suppression policies meant to prevent wildfire have led to fuel laden forests that become tinder boxes in our anomalously hot and dry summers. With the expansion of the wildland-urban interface in Spokane, the proximity to natural areas that make this beautiful city such a great place to live, has also amplified our wildfire risk, especially in the age of climate change. The Spokane Complex Fires that occurred on August 1, 2026, may have been ignited by different sources, but all three fires spread fast and hot as a result of an environment heavily modified by people. In this talk, Dr. Stachowiak will detail the wildfire history of eastern Washington, and contextualize the Spokane Complex Fires, particularly the Old Trails Fire which burnt 616 structures and displaced thousands of people, within the historical range of variability for the region.
Dr. Stachowiak (they/them) holds a PhD in Geography from The University of Tennessee and is a geographer with expertise in GIS, wildfire history, and anthropogenic climate change in the Geosciences Department at Eastern Washington University.
Location: Jack and Dan’s,1226 N Hamilton St, Spokane, WA (in the back room)
Social hour from 6 – 7pm; Presentation from 7 – 8pm
