PORT ANGELES — Clallam County Fire District No. 2 will charge a Hoare Road landowner $1,046 for fire-suppression costs after a brush fire in the Black Diamond area earlier this week.
An invoice for costs associated with the crew and apparatus needed to put out the fire was expected to go out in Thursday’s mail, said Fire Chief Sam Phillips.
Eric Hedin, owner of the property at 545 Hoare Road, is being charged the costs because he did not have a burn permit, Phillips said.
Tuesday’s fire burned about a half-acre of Hedin’s property and came within 400 feet of a neighbor’s home.
The fire had re-ignited after a controlled burn had been extinguished.
Hedin had used the fire to clear the land to build a house, Phillips said.
He had put it out two days earlier and covered it with earth, checking it periodically.
But in Tuesday’s warm weather and winds, the blaze came back to life, spreading to within 200 feet of grazing livestock as well as heading for a neighbor’s home.
The fire was reported at 2:46 p.m. by the neighbor. Firefighters arrived at
3:05 p.m. and had the fire controlled by 4:45 p.m., keeping it to a half-acre.
Nine firefighters with two engines and one water tender extinguished the blaze, Phillips said.
No one was hurt, and no structures were damaged.
The site has stayed safe, with no flare-ups, Phillips said Thursday.
Permits are always required for land-clearing burns, Phillips said.
He urged people to consult fire personnel before lighting outdoors fire.
A burn ban came into effect Tuesday and will stay in effect until Sept. 30.
For more details, see http://tinyurl.com/PDN-clallamburnrestrictions.
