WASHINGTON: Wildfires have burned through more than 250,000 acres across Washington state, triggering widespread evacuations and leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity in the Spokane area.

Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency and imposed a ban on outdoor burning as the fires continued to spread.

Officials said no injuries or deaths linked to the wildfires had been reported.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said several key facilities were evacuated, including water treatment plants, a waste to energy facility and a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.

By 3:30 p.m. local time, authorities had evacuated approximately 200 homes in Spokane, although officials expected that figure to rise as the affected area expanded.

Brown said the fires were affecting large sections of the city, suggesting the actual number of evacuated homes could be higher than initial estimates.

The utility company serving eastern Washington reported that approximately 60,000 people had lost electricity because of the fires.

The Washington fires come amid a difficult wildfire season across other parts of the Pacific Northwest.

In southern British Columbia, nearly 34,000 lightning strikes recorded last month triggered a series of fires and evacuation orders.

Satellite images showed smoke from wildfires in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia drifting eastward across North America.