Spokane County official reports heat wave caused 17 deaths

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Officials in Washington’s Spokane County say the death toll from the past week’s heat wave has reached 17. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday issued a press statement identifying 17 heat wave-related deaths in the eastern Washington county since last Thursday. For comparison, from 2015 to 2020, Spokane County had only 13 total deaths due to heat exposure. The statement said the dead ranged in age from 26 to 84 and include eight women and nine men. The medical examiner says most were found alone in houses or apartments without air conditioning. Many of the victims had underlying health conditions which made them more susceptible to heat stress.