By August 5, four days after the Spokane Complex fires forced 60,000 people out, Debra Curran knew her house had survived. She and her husband were still at the Convention Center shelter. He has ALS. Going home meant an ambulance, not a car.
That single fact opened a chain of dependencies most evacuees never have to think about. An ambulance had to be available, and during the evacuation, a hospice patient in a separate case waited hours for one before a nurse physically carried them out. Power had to be running at the destination; Avista still had over a thousand customers dark. Roads had to admit emergency vehicles. A physician or the family had to decide the transport risk was acceptable.
The sheriff's office lifts the evacuation order. Avista restores the power. EMS dispatches the ambulance. But nobody coordinates the sequence for a family like the Currans, and nobody tracks whether all the pieces have actually come together at the same address, on the same afternoon.
The return chain, by responsible party
Evacuation order — Spokane County Sheriff. Lifted for all zones August 11, ten days after fires began
Power — Avista. 1,070+ customers still without electricity Aug. 5; crews couldn't access fire zones while orders were active
Road access — Multi-agency. Residents advised to keep roads clear for equipment even after orders lifted
Ambulance transport — EMS / private providers. Demand exceeded capacity during evacuation period
Medical authorization — Treating physician or family. ALS equipment needs vary; transport risk is a clinical and personal judgment
Parallel case: The Spokane VA evacuated 27 patients Aug. 1 and didn't reopen until Aug. 11