Asking the tough questions about Spokane County s heat-related deaths
A medical examiner identified 17 heat-related deaths since July 1, according to a Spokane County spokesperson. Three more deaths are being evaluated on Thursday. Author: Morgan Trau (KREM) Updated: 10:46 PM PDT July 8, 2021
SPOKANE, Wash. As the death toll from the Pacific Northwest heat wave continues to climb in Spokane County, community members say there is a lack of accountability.
Three more probable cases were identified Thursday morning, onto the 17 announced Wednesday. The deaths were all announced in the last eight days. The deaths happened on or after July 1. Webley said for comparison, Spokane County reported 13 heat-related deaths in total between 2015 and 2020. These deaths are just a portion of the 78 people in Washington state who likely died because of the historic heat wave.