A 37-year-old man has been arrested for causing the Old Trails fire in Spokane, Washington, which destroyed over 700 homes.

Authorities in Spokane, Washington, announced the arrest of a 37-year-old man, suspected of causing the Old Trails vegetation fire, the largest of the three fires in the area.

Over 700 homes and other buildings have been destroyed, and more than 65,000 people have received evacuation orders, representing one-third of the local population. So far, no casualties have been reported. According to Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove, 17 major fires are affecting an area of over 100,000 acres in the state of Washington, and approximately 5,000 emergency service members are battling the flames.

Gent Welsh, from the National Guard, compared the destruction to that of a war zone, and Mayor Lisa Brown stated that the situation represents the worst natural disaster in the region's history.