LAKE SUTHERLAND — Fire crews from several agencies contained a brush fire Friday morning reportedly ignited by fireworks that had burned about an acre of logging slash on a steep slope just west of Lake Sutherland.
Chief Sam Phillips of Clallam County Fire District No. 2 said a 9-1-1 call came in at 6:24 a.m. about a fire burning along the slope off Fisher Cove Road about a half-mile west of Lake Sutherland.
“There are no structures threatened,” Phillips said.
Fire crews arrived to find 3-foot flames and heavy smoke visible from the road about 200 yards away, Phillips said.
Twelve firefighters, several water tender trucks and brush fire engines from Fire District 2, Fire District 4 and Olympic National Park fought the fire, Phillips said, and had it contained about 9 a.m.
Firefighters were having to deal with large boulders rolling down the steep slope as the logs holding them in place succumbed to the flames, Phillips said.
“It’s very dangerous for us; there’s lots of rocks and rolling debris,” Phillips said.
State Department of Natural Resources crews, traveling in brush trucks from the Port Townsend and Quilcene areas, took over the fire at 11:45 a.m.
“They’re going to take over the fire and baby-sit it overnight to make sure it doesn’t flare up,” Phillips said.
Firefighters found numerous kinds of fireworks, both spent and unspent, at the source of fire, Phillips said. The fireworks included about 40 spent mortar shells.
Crews suspect the fireworks were being used the night before and not extinguished fully, leading to this morning’s blaze, Phillips said.
No injuries in fighting the fire were reported.
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Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
