Washington, Aug. 2 (SANA)Wildfires have burned more than 250,000 acres inWashingtonstate, triggering widespread evacuations and power outages as anintense heatwavefuels fire danger across the U.S. West, authorities said on Sunday.

No injuries or fatalities linked to the fires have been reported so far.

Reuters quoted Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown as saying evacuation orders had been issued for key facilities in the city, including water treatment plants, a waste-to-energy facility and a Veterans Affairs hospital.

Brown said about 200 homes had been evacuated in Spokane, adding that the number was expected to increase.

“These are large areas of the city, so I assume the number will be greater than that,” she said.

The public utility serving eastern Washington said about 60,000 customers were without electricity because of the fires.

Thewildfirescome as other parts of the Pacific Northwest face similar conditions. Thousands of lightning strikes last month ignited multiple fires and prompted evacuation orders in southern British Columbia, Canada.

The U.S. National Weather Service said an intense heatwave had spread across much of the U.S. West, pushing temperatures to record or near-record levels in several states and increasing the risk of wildfires.

According to the Associated Press, the National Weather Service said a strong heat dome stretching from Arizona to Montana was trapping hot air near the ground, driving temperatures sharply higher. Forecasters expect the weather pattern to weaken gradually over the coming days.

Las Vegas recorded a high of 46 degrees Celsius (115°F), its highest temperature of the year so far, while temperatures were forecast to reach 47°C (117°F) in Phoenix, Arizona, as high as 48°C (118°F) in El Centro, California, and nearly 40°C (104°F) in Great Falls, Montana.

Authorities urged residents to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight during peak hours, drink plenty of water and remain in air-conditioned spaces. Officials also warned that elevated overnight temperatures could increase health risks, particularly for older adults, children and people with chronic illnesses.

Phoenix opened cooling centers for vulnerable residents, while shelters in Arizona and Montana expanded their services. The U.S. Forest Service also raised the wildfire danger level across much of Southern California.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency and imposed a ban on most outdoor burning through the end of September, while firefighters continued battling major blazes in Washington and neighboring Oregon under weather conditions favorable for rapid fire spread.

Climate scientists have linked the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves and wildfires in the western United States to rising global temperatures caused by climate change.