PORT ANGELES — A 100-foot-by-100-foot brush fire at the end of Baker Farm Road was extinguished through the efforts of multiple agencies by about 11:30 p.m. Friday.
But first firefighters had to find it.
Clallam 2 Fire Rescue units were initially dispatched to a smoke investigation on Mount Angeles Road at 7:48 p.m., said Deputy Chief Jake Patterson.
Medic 21 — a firefighter/emergency medical technician and firefighter/paramedic — investigated and found a large amount of smoke coming from the area of Monroe and Baker Farm roads.
The crew asked for more fire fighting apparatus for what appeared to be a brush fire.
Then they had to get to the fire.
Access was blocked at the end of Baker Farm Road by a gate and a Clallam County Sheriff’s deputy helped firefighters get through, Patterson said.
Initial crews walked into the site and found the blaze burning in an old clear-cut involving downed timber and slash on land managed by the state Department of Natural Resources.
Wildland engine Brush 23 used an old off-road vehicle trail to get to the fire, Patterson said.
The steep terrain where the fire was burning and the fuel load involved required additional firefighters and equipment to be dispatched, Patterson said.
DNR was asked to bring personnel and fire engines and a water tender from Clallam County Fire District 3 was called to provide more water.
A fire engine and five firefighters from the Port Angeles Fire Department was requested as well as an additional wildland fire engine with five personnel from Clallam County Fire District 3.
DNR arrived with a wildland engine, three firefighters and Supervisor Ted Allison, who took command of the fire once he arrived, Patterson said.
DNR also brought in a 10-person hand crew. Sixteen firefighters from Clallam Fire District 2 assisted along with five from Port Angeles Fire Department and seven from Clallam County Fire District 3.
Three wildland fire engines, two structural fire engines, two water tenders, a command vehicle and an ambulance were brought in.
After most left at 11:30 p.m., two crews remained to help DNR throughout the night.
The cause of the fire continued to be under investigation on Saturday, Patterson said.
