A wildfire ignited in southwestern Reno, Nev., on Thursday, spreading rapidly with strong winds howling and forcing the evacuation of 10,000 residents.

The Caughlin Fire, which started after noon on Thursday, spread to 1,847 acres by late in the day.

Gusts reached as high as 70 mph during the afternoon hours as the storm that brought record snow followed by a treacherous ice storm to Seattle moved inland. The high winds acted to fan the flames, quickly spreading the fire.

Smoke from the fire was reducing the visibility to as low as 2.5 miles in Reno during the afternoon on Thursday. The combination of the fire and smoke forced nearby roads to be closed.

About 9,000 customers also had their power knocked out by the growing fire.

According to Inciweb, 15 structures have been destroyed, and another 40 structures have sustained damage.

As of late Thursday, the fire was contained by 80 percent.

Gusty winds will continue this afternoon and again Saturday afternoon with gusts past 40 mph possible.

However, some rain will fall this afternoon and evening as a new storm approaches the West Coast. While not very heavy, the rain should help firefighters in their battle against the blaze. A few showers will continue tonight into Saturday.