The fire started as a lightning strike at about 9 p.m. Tuesday and quickly grew, causing local officials to conduct door-to-door evacuation advisories to 140 residences. Level 3 indicates “imminent danger,” but does not require mandatory evacuations, which are not executed in Washington state, Agnew said.

UNCUT: Wildfire Rages On Hillside

The fire is burning in Union Valley east of Chelan.

After Gov. Chris Gregoire ordered the activation of a statewide strike team, officials at Camp Murray began coordinating and directing fire crews.

Chopper 7 spotted a convoy of eight or nine trucks heading over Interstate 90 with firefighters from Thurston, Lewis and Grays Harbor counties and Duvall to help fight the fire. Firefighters could be away for several days fighting fires in the extremely hot temperatures that have hit both Western and Eastern Washington this week.

Chief Steve North of the McLane Fire Department said the fire is a late start to the wildfire season that could lead to a busy second half of the summer for firefighters across the state.

The State Department of Natural Recourses is expected to take charge of the firefighting effort on Wednesday morning, the Southeast DNR Communications Center told KIRO 7 Eyewitnesses News.

So far, no structures have been damaged. By 9 a.m., some of the fire had been knocked down.

A Red Cross shelter has been set up at Chelan High School.