A vegetation fire was reported by multiple 911 callers along Beaver Valley Road in Chimacum at approximately 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 3.

Crews from East Jefferson Fire Rescue (EJFR) responded with Battalion Chief Justin Clouse, brush engines and four water tenders.

First-arriving firefighters observed grass and brush burning on the slope along the east side of Beaver Valley.

The firefighters extended lines along both flanks, as the fire started to spread up the hill and into the trees.

Additional firefighters arrived to assist with extinguishment, while the Battalion Chief established command and performed a threat assessment to adjacent houses.

The Battalion Chief noted the fire was burning through salal and ferns, where the undergrowth of these plants is very dry and/or dead, leaving a receptive fuel bed for the fire to spread.

This location was adjacent to that of the Beaver Valley Fire of 2023, on which Clouse was also the incident commander.

“The wind was mild this evening, and in our favor, but if we had winds like the other night, or similar to 2023, we would have really struggled to contain this fire,” Clouse said on July 3.

Once dispatched, it took less than five-and-a-half minutes for the first firefighters to arrive and take action, which contained the fire to approximately one acre.

Due to the location along Beaver Valley Road, the firefighters closed the road to traffic, to safely position firefighting vehicles.

The water supply to fight the fire was provided by EJFR water tenders, staffed by trained volunteers.

Jefferson County’s Department of Emergency Management was notified and placed on standby, for potential evacuation notices that were ultimately not needed.

The state Department of Natural Resources was also notified.

The cause of the fire is undetermined as of press time, due to the location along the roadside, where various sources of ignition collect in the ditch, such as cigarette butts, spent fireworks and heated metal from vehicles.

EJFR issued a statement to remind residents and visitors that Jefferson County is approaching drought conditions, so its forests are abnormally dry, and will easily ignite.

“Our region is experiencing above-average wildfire risk through September due to these conditions,” EJFR Fire Chief Bret Black said. “Even vegetation that looks healthy and green on top has dry and dead material beneath that will readily burn.”

Black added that, in recent months, firefighters have responded to fires and burn escapes where the fire is traveling in green vegetation, under the shaded tree canopies, so he reiterated the EJFR advisory to follow burn restrictions.

EJFR’s statement also expressed the department’s appreciation for “the support and professionalism” provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Jeffcom dispatchers.