PORT ANGELES — Wild land and house fires kept fire crews busy Saturday evening and early Sunday morning.

At 4:45 PM Saturday crews were dispatched to a fast moving brush fire along the beach at Sea View Drive at the end of Straight View Drive in the Four Seasons Ranch Area.  Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue crews were already enroute to a medical call at Lake Crescent but one unit was able to divert to the fire while the other continued to the medical call.

Initial reports were that a fire was spreading quickly along beach grass in front of several houses due to high winds along the beach.  Mutual aid was immediately requested from the Port Angeles Fire Department to assist.  Upon the arrival of the first units, further resources were requested from Clallam County Fire District #3 and Washington State DNR.

Residents in the area were already attempting to slow the fire with garden hoses and buckets.  Crews deployed hose lines from the first arriving fire engines and were able to get around the fire front to stop the spread of the fire.  Winds were blowing it east towards more houses and the hillside.  There was one small spot fire that was started from blowing embers further down the beach but it was quickly extinguished by crews.  With the help of multiple agencies and local residents, the fire was contained and extinguished.  There were no injuries or damage to any houses.  The fire burned approximately a 300 foot x 100 foot section of grass and beach logs.

 While crews were fighting that fire, a small fire was discovered up Little River Road. Crews found a small 4×4 slow moving fire in the duff that they were able to extinguish.

Clallam 2 Fire Rescue Chief Jake Patterson says during this brush fire, there were two unrelated medical emergency calls. One call was handled by a Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue crew able to break away from the fire. The other was handled by a mutual aid ambulance from the Port Angeles Fire Department.

 There were no injuries related to the wildland fire.  It was determined that a hot piece of coal from a previous recreational fire in a metal fire pit rolled from a container and ignited the dry grass.

Twelve hours after the wildland fire, firefighters were dispatched at 4:35 AM to a residential structure fire on Cottonwood Lane in the south Four Seasons area.  Upon arrival of the first fire engine, there were reported flames showing from the south side of the structure.  Crews began extinguishment from the exterior until additional units arrived so there was sufficient personnel to make an interior fire attack.  The fire was quickly knocked down, however it had already extended into the attic space of the residence causing significant damage to half of the house. There was one occupant at home at the time of the fire, he was able to escape on his own along with two dogs that were also in the residence.

There was an attached shed on the south side of the house which burned and extended from the exterior into the attic space.  The cause of the fire is underdetermined but appears accidental at this point.  No one was hurt. The resident was awakened by friends who had stopped by the house and discovered the fire.