Firefighters worked to contain huge blazes in the US city of Spokane in the east of Washington state early yesterday after officials reported hundreds of structures had been reduced to cinders.

About 60,000 people within Spokane’s city limits have been evacuated under the authorities’ highest-level alert, “Go Now,” police chief Kevin Hall said.

The National Weather Service (NWS) had warned of “extremely critical fire weather conditions” in the area due to strong winds and exceptional dryness.

Video of the aftermath on Sunday showed scores of homes burned to the ground, with only their brick fireplaces and foundations remaining, while other houses nearby escaped practically unscathed.

“Just driving around looking at the homes -- it’s just one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Spokane resident Geoff Beadles told AFP, after evacuating with his fiancee and two dogs.

Mayor Lisa Brown told a press briefing: “Hundreds of homes and structures have been lost. We are still assessing the potential for lives to be lost.”

“To the people who are suffering right now in our region from either loss or uncertainty... our hearts go out to you. We are here for you for the long term,” she said. Fire officials said late Sunday that the blazes were still zero-percent contained.

And while more favorable weather, with only light winds, was forecast for yesterday, temperatures were expected to rise again later in the week. Smoke accumulating over the city would likely render air quality “very unhealthy” yesterday, the regional clear air agency said.

Sheriff John Nowels said no deaths or injuries had so far been reported. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, who declared a state of emergency, said the state is enduring a fourth consecutive year of drought as climate change creates conditions conducive to destructive wildfires.