On Aug. 1, smoke was visible in the distance as I walked to the chow hall for lunch at Airway Heights Corrections Center near Spokane, Washington, where the Old Trails Fire is now burning just a few miles away (see map estimate here). 

Over the course of the afternoon, the wall of smoke encroaching on the prison from the northeast grew. By the time I walked that same path to dinner only a few hours later, the clouds of smoke dwarfed the five aerial water tankers dropping fire retardant in a futile attempt to suppress the fast-moving flames.

The Old Trails Fire, one of three major fires in what’s referred to as the Spokane Complex fires, has destroyed hundreds of homes in the Airway Heights area, about 9 miles west of Spokane. Collectively, the fires have burned over 10,000 acres, and roughly 65,000 people remain under evacuation orders, according to The Spokesman Review, a local newspaper. 

As of Wednesday morning, the evacuation zone closest to the prison — just over a mile northwest of the facility — was considered Level 2, which indicates “significant danger” to the area and encourages residents to evacuate voluntarily or “be set” to leave at a moment’s notice, according to Spokane Regional Emergency Communications. 

Those of us incarcerated in the Spokane area face the same dangers as other residents, but without the ability to make the same choices about our health or safety. Over the past few days, as the fire has continued to burn and heavy smoke pollutes the air around the prison, I and others around me have weighed our limited options, trying to protect ourselves as best we can.

The morning after the fire began, I was already feeling the effects of smoke inhalation. My throat was sore and full of phlegm, my eyes itched and my lungs ached. At 52 years old, smoke from the increasingly frequent wildfires near my facility is affecting my breathing and sinuses more and more. 

Outside my window, the sun was a blood-red orb on the horizon and dark clouds of smoke filled the air. Yet, despite the obvious danger, no action was taken on Sunday to protect the health of the incarcerated population at Airway Heights. Our sole communication from the facility that day was a kiosk message stating the facility was not under an evacuation order and remained “safe to operate.” However, the message announced that visitation and volunteer programming would be canceled through the weekend. The message went on to state the facility was “closely monitoring the air quality.”

In an email to a Prison Journalism Project editor Tuesday afternoon, Chris Wright, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Corrections, said the prison remained safe to operate. “We have set up an Incident Command Post that is closely monitoring the fire’s behavior, weather conditions, air quality and any potential impacts to facility operations,” Wright wrote.

He added that an evacuation was unlikely, but should it occur residents would be relocated to another facility, as happened in 2022 when a fire forced the evacuation of Larch Corrections Center in southwest Washington.

A 42-year-old incarcerated individual who goes by the nickname Casper said on Saturday that he felt the prison was not doing enough to protect the incarcerated population. “There is no notification about mask availability. No education [on] what we can do to reduce the effects.”

On Monday, we received the first indication of protective measures. Two HEPA 500 DefendAir air scrubbers were set up in the living area of my unit, followed by a kiosk message announcing that N95 masks were available by request from staff members. 

The accommodations did little to ease people’s discomfort, especially those with chronic conditions. Even after the air filter and masks were provided, Robert P., a 48-year-old man with asthma, reported that his breathing hadn’t improved. “Every breath I take it feels sour, ashy. Burns. Feels like I’m going to vomit,” P. said.

When asked if he sought help from the prison’s medical staff, P. said he would not, based on previous experiences with the prison’s medical staff and fear of reprisals from the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board, Washington state’s parole equivalent. The DOC, he said, had “broken” his spirit.

“I don’t want to stand up for myself. I have had issues with medical, kites getting ignored, months to respond, doctors leave, keeping my files in limbo,” he said.

Although N95 masks are available, as of Tuesday morning only a handful of people were using them.