PORT ANGELES — A trash fire that spread on a beach near Place Road was quickly extinguished Friday afternoon.
The fire charred a section of beach grasses and driftwood near Place Road, just east of the mouth of the Elwha River.
Firefighters and neighbor Michael Philipsen, 59, were able to extinguish the flames with no injuries or damage to structures at about 2:25 p.m., said Lt. Troy Tisdale of Clallam County Fire District No. 2.
Veronica Hudson, 80, who was staying with a friend nearby, began the fire to burn old mail, Tisdale said.
Flames spread
Within a couple minutes of starting the small fire in a fire pit, flames spread into the beach grass around it, he said.
Hudson tried to put out the fire using bricks, then went to the home where she was staying to call 9-1-1.
She also notified Philipsen at a nearby home, who also called 9-1-1.
Philipsen attached a garden hose to a neighboring home for water and had put out most of it by the time firefighters arrived, Tisdale said.
The remainder was extinguished within four minutes.
