BRINNON — The Belgian Fire, a 5-acre wildland fire that claimed two structures and saw many evacuate near Brinnon, is now under control.
Firefighters who were still on the scene Wednesday were focusing on cooling hot spots and monitoring the area, Brinnon Fire Chief Tim Manly said.
Entering patrol mode was being considered for late afternoon, he said.
“We just want to make sure that we’re on top of it early (Wednesday) morning, and then around 5 p.m., we’ll reassess, but hope to go into a patrol mode tonight,” Manly said. “We’ve got (the state Department of Natural Resources) on scene, still have a strike team on top of this, and we’re just strengthening our containment lines.”
Evacuation orders administered by the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management at 2:43 p.m. Tuesday were issued for residents of Belgian Drive, Morocco Place, Rock Brook Road, Arabian Drive, Shetland Lane and the north side of Dosewallips Road from Rockybrook Road to about 1 mile north.
Seventy firefighters were on the scene from Brinnon Fire, Quilcene Fire, East Jefferson Fire Rescue (EJFR), Mason County, Navy Region Northwest and the state Department of Natural Resources, according to a Brinnon Fire Department Facebook post. Strike teams from Kitsap County and Mason County also responded.
Two helicopters involved in controlling the fire were released, said Willie Bence, Jefferson County’s director of the Department of Emergency Management.
At about 8 p.m. Tuesday, evacuation levels were reduced from 3, which means “Go now,” to 1, which means “Get Ready,” Bence said.
On Wednesday afternoon, about 40 firefighters remained on the scene, EJFR Community Risk Manager Robert Wittenberg said.
The fire is completely surrounded by containment lines, but that doesn’t mean the fire is 100 percent contained, Manly said.
“I can tell you I’m at 100 percent stop loss,” he continued. “So the fire is no longer progressing or moving, at all.”
To reach 100 percent containment, all sections of the line would need to be strong enough that officials could confidently assert that changing conditions wouldn’t undermine them, he said.
The two structures — a vacant residence and an unoccupied travel trailer — were lost, a Brinnon Fire Department Facebook post said.
Investigators are looking into the source of the fire, Manly said.
“Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources on July 15, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. at the request of Fire Chief Tim Manly, Brinnon Fire Department,” according to a press release from the state Fire Marshal’s Office.
Bence said state-level support was monumental in the initial success of containing the fire.
About 3:20 p.m. Tuesday, electrical services were shut off to the residents along Belgian Drive, Morocco Place and Arabian Drive, according to a Facebook post from Mason County PUD No. 1, which services the area.
Power resumed about 7 p.m., said Kristin Masteller, the PUD’s general manager.
The fire led to a Level 3 evacuation message being sent out via the Department of Emergency Management’s Nixle communications system.
“It was very successful,” Manly said. “I think that was the first time I’ve ever used Level 3.”
Bence said Manly was wise to skip levels one and two when he requested the Nixle evacuation order.
Previous to Monday, the Level 3 evacuation order had only been utilized one other time, during Chimacum’s Beaver Valley Fire in 2023, Bence said.
Credit goes to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for supporting the order, Bence said.
“(JSCO) immediately deployed five or six deputies out there to make door-to-door notifications of folks,” Bence said.
Thirty-eight addresses were counted in the evacuation zone during the contact effort, Bence said.
Going door-to-door isn’t something that can be done in all emergencies, Bence added.
He underlined the importance of signing up for the Nixle alert system, which can be done at https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1066/Alerts-Warnings.
Nixle alerts come in three levels: 1, which means “get ready,” two, which means “get set,” and to be prepared to leave at any time, and 3, which means “go now.”
Bence advised that those with special medical needs or large animals should consider leaving at Level 2.
The Nixle evacuation order was sent out to just fewer than 10,000 Jefferson County residents, Bence said. DEM also utilized social media and Port Townsend radio stations KPTZ 91.9 FM and KROH 91.1 FM, he added.
Following the evacuation, the Brinnon Community Center was activated as an evacuation center and staffed by volunteers, Bence said.
The shelter was not requested for overnight use by any of the evacuees, Bence said.
The American Red Cross, which was activated and en route to support evacuees, is no longer mobilized for the response, Bence said. It remains on standby, he added.
A pin of the location of the fire is on google maps at https://tinyurl.com/4wep8fjy.
Bence said he appreciated the immediate outpouring of community support. Specifically, he mentioned the Halfway House Restaurant and the Geoduck Restaurant and Lounge for feeding evacuees and firefighters.
Melissa Westervelt, owner of the Geoduck Restaurant and Lounge, got the Nixle alert and went immediately to her out-of-town friend’s house to collect his important belongings. Then she opened the restaurant to locals so they could bring their animals, their belongings and have a place to be, she said.
“We just feed the firemen for free and give them whatever they need,” she said. “That’s what we do. We just take care of each other and keep pushing forward.”
Westervelt said her home was a block away from the evacuations. She had her animals and a go bag ready to go.
Center Valley Animal Rescue offered to help anyone who needed help evacuating large animals, Bence said.
“Brinnon Fire did a phenomenal job getting resources and staffing up, throwing everything they had at the fire,” Bence said. “All of our public safety partners came together really quickly. But also the community, as always, with immediate offers of support. So it was really heartwarming to see.”
“This is definitely a sign that we are at a high fire risk,” Wittenberg said. “The weather conditions over the next couple of days are not going to help that. So just continue to be aware and exercise caution.”
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@sequimgazette.com.
Firefighters from multiple agencies worked to contain the Belgian Fire in Brinnon on Tuesday and Wednesday. (East Jefferson Fire Rescue)
