PORT ANGELES — Grass clogged in a riding lawn mower ignited and started a brush fire in the 500 block of Lower Elwha Road on Friday afternoon, authorities said.
The fire consumed the lawn mower and spread into surrounding brush and woods. Clallam Fire District No. 2 firefighters contained the fire to about 1 acre before it spread to two nearby houses, according to a news release.
The owner was not able to suppress the fire due to a lack of water on the property and reported it at about 2:16 p.m., the release said.
Elwha police officers and emergency management personnel arrived at the property before Fire District No. 2 and attempted to slow the fire’s spread with fire extinguishers.
Fire District No. 2 responded with six firefighters, one command vehicle, one structural fire engine, one wildland brush engine and one water tender.
Other firefighters originally en route to the brush fire responded to a trailer fire in the Gales Addition neighborhood.
The department reminds the public that despite cooling temperatures and recent rain, the North Olympic Peninsula remains dry. A complete burn ban remains in effect across Clallam County, including a ban on campfires and charcoal barbecues.
