PORT ANGELES — Multiple fires kept Clallam County Fire District No. 2 firefighters busy Saturday.
Firefighters were called out to a fire in Gales Addition, up Black Diamond Road and two near the Elwha River, Assistant Fire Chief Mike DeRousie said Sunday.
“We’re really stressing the point that it’s really dry out there,” he said. “People need to put cigarettes out in ashtrays and be careful when handling any type of fire.”
The first fire was on the 200 block of North Gales Street at 9:52 a.m.
It was initially reported as a brush fire but was actually someone burning yard debris, he said.
Because of the countywide burn ban, which bars all fires except small recreational fires, firefighters helped the resident put the fire out.
Firefighters were then sent to the 3000 block of Black Diamond Road just after noon to put out a fire that someone started about 10 feet off a trail, DeRousie said.
DeRousie estimated the fire was about 10 feet by 10 feet. Good Samaritans had poured water on it, and it was mostly extinguished by the time firefighters arrived, he said.
After that was a log fire on the side of the Elwha River off Elwha Dike Road, reported at about 2:05 p.m.
DeRousie said two people had the fire nearly extinguished by the time firefighters arrived. There was no sign of fireworks or cigarettes, and it wasn’t clear how the fire started.
The fourth fire was about 300 feet east of Sisson Road close to the Elwha River, he said. Firefighters were dispatched at about 5:37 p.m.
The fire was in a wooded area and was about 25 feet by 50 feet, he said.
The fire district sent two tenders, two engines, a medic unit and a command vehicle, and 14 firefighters battled the fire.
“It was hard to get to and it was starting to go right over the bank,” DeRousie said. “It was slow-moving, thank goodness.”
It wasn’t clear how that fire started.
DeRousie said he is thankful for everyone who reported the fires and put water on them.
“Everybody did a good job,” he said.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.
