PORT ANGELES — Two fires over the weekend in the Four Seasons Ranch area near Morse Creek were extinguished with no injuries, reported Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue Chief Jake Patterson.
“Both of these fires demonstrated the outstanding cooperation between the local fire agencies in providing assistance to each other when needed,” Patterson said in a press release.
Wildland fire
At 4:35 p.m. Saturday, crews were dispatched to a fast-moving brush fire along the beach at Sea View Drive at the end of Strait View Drive in the Four Seasons Ranch area.
Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue crews were already en route to a medical call at Lake Crescent, but one unit diverted to the fire while the other continued to the medical call, Patterson said.
Upon arrival, firefighters found residents in the area were already attempting to slow the blaze with garden hoses and buckets.
Winds were blowing flames east toward more houses and the hillside.
“Crews deployed hose lines from the first arriving fire engines and were able to get around the fire front to stop the spread of the fire,” Patterson said.
“There was one small spot fire that was started from blowing embers further down the beach, but it was quickly extinguished by crews,” he added.
Mutual aid was requested from the Port Angeles Fire Department. Upon the arrival of the first units, additional resources were requested from Clallam County Fire District 3 and the state Department of Natural Resources.
“With the help of multiple agencies and local residents, the fire was contained and extinguished,” with no injuries or damage to any structures, Patterson said.
The fire burned about a 300-foot by 100-foot section of grass and beach logs, he said.
The cause was determined to be a hot piece of coal that rolled from a recreational fire in a metal fire pit and ignited dry grass.
The last fire unit left the scene at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Cottonwood Lane
Twelve hours after the wildland fire, at 4:35 a.m. Sunday, Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue was dispatched to a residential structure fire on Cottonwood Lane in the south Four Seasons area, Patterson said.
Clallam County Fire District 3 also was dispatched immediately due to this area being covered by an automatic aid agreement between the two agencies. In addition, an engine was requested as mutual aid from the Port Angeles Fire Department.
One occupant was at home at the time of the fire, but he escaped on his own along with two dogs also in the residence after friends who stopped by the house discovered the fire.
Upon arrival, firefighters found flames burning from the south side of the structure.
The fire was quickly knocked down, Patterson said, but it had already extended into the attic space of the residence, causing significant damage to half of the house.
An attached shed on the south side of the house burned and extended from the exterior into the attic space.
The cause of the fire is undetermined but appears accidental, Patterson said.
No one was hurt and the last fire unit left the scene at 6:36 a.m. Sunday.
In between the two fires were several incidents.
While crews were fighting the beach blaze, a small fire was discovered up Little River Road. Clallam County Fire District 4 in Joyce was requested to provide mutual aid to that fire.
But that request was canceled after the first Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue engine arrived and found a small 4-foot by 4-foot slow-moving fire in the duff that the district firefighters extinguished.
Also during the brush fire were two unrelated medical emergency calls, one handled by a crew able to break away from the fire from Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue, and the other handled by a mutual aid ambulance from the Port Angeles Fire Department.
