Amazon’s Disaster Relief team responds with emergency supplies to support victims of crises around the world. Recent efforts have provided aid following a hurricane in Jamaica, earthquakes in Venezuela and wildfires in France.
Devastation from wildfires on the eastern side of Washington hit especially close to home — for Amazon and number of companies in the state.
The Seattle-based tech giant announced this week that it is donating a range of supplies to assist nearly 65,000 people who have been evacuated from their homes in the Spokane area, as crews battle three major wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.
“Washington is home to Amazon and to tens of thousands of our employees. As the situation evolves, we remain committed to supporting our employees and the wider community affected by the Spokane wildfires,” Abe Diaz, Amazon’s head of Disaster Relief, said in a statement.
Through its work with the American Red Cross, Save the Children, and local nonprofits in Spokane, Amazon is helping to donate and deliver more than 26,000 emergency supplies, including air purifiers, masks, diapers, and hygiene kits for displaced families. Heavy-duty gloves, boots, and hydration packets for firefighters are also arriving this week, and a second wave of donated supplies will follow.
Amazon relies on 12 Disaster Relief hubs across seven countries, and aid for Spokane is coming from a hub that opened in California’s San Bernardino Valley in 2024.
The global network first launched in the U.S. in 2021 and enables the company to respond to natural disasters in just a couple of days or less. The company says that since 2017, it has donated and delivered more than 30 million essential supplies in response to over 200 disasters around the world.
In a post on LinkedIn on Wednesday, Kara Hurst, chief sustainability officer at Amazon, said the fires created “a living nightmare” in Eastern Washington.
“Every natural disaster is one too many, but the latest one hits especially hard,” she wrote.
Amazon is not alone in providing aid.
Boeing announced that it’s donating $250,000 from its Charitable Trust to assist those impacted by Washington wildfires.
The aerospace company said the funding will support the Innovia Foundation of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, to help nonprofits, businesses and community organizations provide relief.
Boeing employs more than 65,000 people in Washington. The company said it will match qualifying employee contributions made to charitable gift match programs in support of relief efforts.
F5 is assisting its employees and others in the broader Spokane community impacted by the fires, the company told GeekWire Wednesday.
The Seattle-based networking and security giant has a significant presence in Spokane Valley.
“The safety and well-being of our team members are our highest priorities during this challenging time of rapid evacuations and profound uncertainty,” an F5 spokesperson said, adding that the company is committed to ensuring employees have the resources they need to recover and rebuild.
To assist those directly affected, F5 said it is actively mobilizing support through two primary avenues:
- Direct Employee Assistance: Offering immediate aid to impacted employees through the F5er Emergency Relief Fund. Fully sustained by F5, the fund delivers direct financial relief to employees facing hardships, emergency evacuations, and long-term recovery efforts due to natural disasters.
- Community Donation Matching: F5 launched dedicated donation campaigns to nonprofits actively providing on-the-ground relief and matches employee donations and volunteer time — up to $5,000 USD annually per employee.
Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab is putting its technology to use in the form of a building damage visualizer that uses satellite imagery to show the effects of the Spokane fires.
The lab supports HASTE (High-speed Assessment and Satellite Tracking for Emergencies), an open-source, no-code platform that turns vast amounts of data into actionable insights. Responders can assess destruction faster and more accurately, supporting relief and recovery efforts.
So far in the Spokane area, 16,171 buildings have been analyzed, with 624 buildings (3.9%) identified as damaged. Another 49 (0.30%) could not be analyzed due to smoke, haze, or clouds. Microsoft stresses that the results are considered preliminary and on-the-ground validation will be needed for an accurate understanding of the full impact.
T-Mobile is providing a range of services to help keep communities, customers, and first responders stay connected in the wake of the disaster. These include:
- Free Wi-Fi, device charging and supplies at its Five Mile Plaza Experience Store at 1910 W. Francis Ave. in Spokane.
- Unlimited talk, text and data to T‑Mobile, Metro by T‑Mobile, USCellular, Assurance Wireless, Mint and Ultra customers in impacted areas who don’t already have it.
- Activation of T-Satellite with Starlink in impacted areas, enabling compatible devices to send basic text messages and text-to-911 if traditional connectivity is disrupted, while also delivering Wireless Emergency Alerts.
- Wi‑Fi, device charging support and power packs at the Spokane Convention Center.
The Bellevue-based wireless provider, which is relaying updates online at its Emergency Response Hub, said it is also working to ensure that cell tower sites remain in operation after having restored service at each site. And T-Mobile is coordinating with state and local agencies to assess community needs and identify additional opportunities to support first responders and residents.
Starbucks is providing support through its foundation to the American Red Cross and World Central Kitchen, and the Seattle-based coffee giant said it’s continuing to assess additional opportunities to support recovery efforts in Spokane.
Customers at Starbucks coffeehouses across Washington are invited to join in giving to the Red Cross’s Washington Wildfires 2026 campaign, a spokesperson told GeekWire.
Starbucks partners (employees) who are looking to help during times of need, or year-round, can contribute to the Caring Unites Partners (CUP) Fund, a financial assistance program funded by partners, for partners.
The company is also offering a double match for donations made to American Red Cross – Disaster Relief; Feeding America – Disaster Response; and World Central Kitchen – Disaster Relief Efforts.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown’s office is encouraging people to take precautions to ensure wildfire relief donations go to reputable charities.
“The destruction in Spokane is heartbreaking, and generous people across our state want to help,” Brown said in a news release Wednesday. “It’s important to give safely to ensure your hard-earned money is helping those in need.”
The city of Spokane is accepting donations through its H.O.M.E. Starts Here Fund, which had attracted $234,000 from more than 1,100 donors by Wednesday.
The AG’s office is providing online tips to guide those giving to non-profits or charities.
