It's only Wednesday morning as I write this, and it's hard to believe that what started out as a 300-acre fire near Hwy 243 on Monday night has quickly grown to 19,000 acres.

Gusty winds will accompany a new weather system this afternoon, hindering the battle against the fire.

Residents in the area have been through power outages and all levels of evacuation.

Remember:

Level 1 Evacuation: residents should be aware.

Level 2 Evacuation: get prepared to go.

Level 3 Evacuation: immediate danger, leave now.

The smoke has been wafting northeast affecting the Spokane area. The team currently includes about 400 firefighters, two planes, multiple helicopters, and an air tanker.

The good news is the fire is more than 25% contained.

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