Washington state fires destroy hundreds of structures and force Spokane-area residents to evacuate

Light winds and lower temperatures were in the forecast Monday to help firefighters with wildfires in eastern Washington state that forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area while destroying at least 600 homes, businesses and other structures.The fires in and around Spokane, the state's second-largest city, burned about 12 square miles (about 31 square kilometers) by early Monday and filled the sky with smoke and haze. They were 0% contained, Courtney James, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, said.The weather forecast for Monday called cooler temperatures and light winds following strong wind gusts Sunday. No rain was in the forecast.The fires were among dozens of wildfires across the Western U.S. that stretched the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them.At least 390 square miles (1,000 square kilometers) has burned across the state, and some of the fires, including those in the Spokane area, have not been conta