Two back-to-back vehicle fires — one in Port Townsend and the other near Madrona Beach on Discovery Bay — left local firefighters short-handed on New Year's Eve.
The first car fire was …
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Two back-to-back vehicle fires — one in Port Townsend and the other near Madrona Beach on Discovery Bay — left local firefighters short-handed on New Year's Eve.
The first car fire was reported about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31 near the US Bank in Port Townsend.
East Jefferson Fire Rescue said another vehicle fire, on Southport Lane, was called in at nearly the same time.
The vehicle fire on Southport Lane was in a carport that threatened the adjacent home.
No one was hurt in either fire. The cause of the two blazes have not been determined.
Two fire engines were sent to handle the car fire at the bank. Meanwhile, first-arriving firefighters reported a large amount of fire from the carport that was spreading to the house on Southport Lane.
Officials from East Jefferson Fire Rescue said water supply was the biggest challenge at the Southport Lane blaze since there are no hydrants in the area. Four water tenders from the East Jefferson, Port Ludlow, and Discovery Bay fire districts were needed to help with water supply.
East Jefferson Fire Rescue said soon after both fires were dispatched, an additional EMS 911 call called out the department's last available crew.
“For almost 30 minutes we had no fire or EMS units available in Districts 1 and 3," said East Jefferson Fire Chief Bret Black.
Several vehicles and the carport were "significantly damaged" at the Southport Lane fire.
The fire was declared "knocked down" at 7 p.m. Saturday, and firefighters stayed at the scene to peel away the ceilings and wall board to determine if the fire had spread into the home.
Black said crews had to be rotated several times, "which is not ideal. We do not have enough firefighters for the level of demand placed on our people.”
The two water tenders from East Jefferson Fire Rescue were staffed by volunteers as well as the rehab unit, according to the department.
Mutual aid was received from the Poulsbo Fire Department for other coverage calls Saturday in East Jefferson, according to East Jefferson Fire Rescue.
“We are very grateful to our volunteers, off-duty members and mutual aid partners for their support of this evening’s surge of 911 calls,” Black said.
