Eastern Washington fires have burned 600 structures and forced evacuation of 60,000 people

Investigators had yet to determine how the blazes started and Washington Senator Maria Cantwell warned that the danger is not over

Wildfires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area while destroying at least 600 homes, businesses and other structures, authorities said on Sunday.

The fires in and around Spokane, the state’s second largest city, burned about 21 sq km (8.2 square miles) over the weekend and were among dozens of wildfires across the western US that stretched the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them.

A total of about 1,000 sq km has burned across the state and some of the fires, including those in the Spokane area, have not been contained.

No one hurt or unaccounted for – so far

Fire officials and police said there had been no reports of injuries or people unaccounted for – but they stressed it was early in the response effort.

Officials also said the evacuees in Spokane included patients at its US Veterans Affairs hospital.