Hundreds of firefighters employed every weapon they had Wednesday to battle a stubborn wildfire east of the Cascades that has destroyed dozens of homes across roughly 35 square miles.

Helicopters made regular drops of water on hot spots. Firefighters dug lines with hand tools and bulldozers and cleared wood piles and dry brush from around homes to protect them.

And at the fire's troublesome north flank, where massive plumes of smoke soared skyward, heavy tankers repeatedly dropped retardant on thick stands of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir - some of the heavy timber that fire crews had hoped to keep the Taylor Bridge Fire from reaching.

New evacuations were ordered Wednesday evening on the north flank, fire spokesman Glenn Kohler said. He didn't know how many people were affected. Hundreds have already left their homes.

Retirees Dave and Jan Stambaugh eyed the massive fire behind their home warily Wednesday, as they loaded treasured artwork into their cars.

The home sits on a rural lane in a meadow just below flaming forested hills.

"It's one thing about the house, but my yard, oh my garden," Stambaugh said, pointing to her lush new landscaping with ponds, shrubs, stepping stones and a putting green. "Do you think it'll make it?"

Next door, 81-year-old Joanne Blanchard wondered the same thing after stuffing her trunk with photo albums.

Minutes later, sheriff's deputies began knocking on doors to notify residents it was time to flee. Blanchard's daughter came up the street from her own home to make sure her parents were ready to go. Others quickly finished filling up campers with prized possessions.

"I think the houses are fine, because we've got open space all around here," said Eric Wulf, as he began loading up six horses to evacuate. "It's just a pain more than anything else."

Fire management officials said the blaze was 25 percent contained, up from 10 percent. Crews were five to seven days away from full containment, incident commander Rex Reed told residents Wednesday, according to The Daily Record of Ellensburg.

Since Monday, the fire has burned across more than 22,000 acres of tinder-dry grass, sagebrush and timber in rural areas east of Cle Elum, about 75 miles east of Seattle.

More than 800 people were working to suppress the blaze. Kohler said one firefighter suffered a minor facial burn.

Authorities say at least 70 primary residences have been destroyed, but conditions were too dangerous for an exact count.

The acreage estimate was down from earlier estimates of about 28,000 acres, due to more accurate mapping, Reed said.

Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency for Kittitas and Yakima counties in response to the blaze. That provided air support from the Washington National Guard.

Crews were keeping a wary eye on weather conditions as hotter, drier conditions were expected Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, a brush fire not far from Grand Coulee Dam in Eastern Washington has burned 12 square miles and reached the tiny community of Elmer City.

Colville Tribe spokeswoman Cathy Moses said Wednesday three homes were evacuated and officials have told more residents to evacuate. Moses said one old barn burned. Elmer City has about 240 residents.

The fire broke out Tuesday, closing Highway 155 near Elmer City.

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Associated Press photographer Elaine Thompson contributed to this report.