Nearly an acre of land was blackened by a wildland fire near Spencer Creek Road Saturday.

The blaze was reported on logged land owned by the state Department of Natural Resources, said Brinnon Fire Chief Tim Manly.

Flames were 6 feet high when Brinnon firefighters arrived at approximately 5 p.m. March 18.

Manly said firefighters dropped progressive lines and started working from north to south, then coming from the east. The fire was stopped before it got to the tree line, about a half-acre short of the Boy Scout camp property.

Brinnon firefighters were assisted by the Quilcene Fire Department and responders from the Department of Natural Resources.

Manly said the fire was reported by two youths who had been target shooting in the area. They called 911 after spotting smoke.

The pair denied doing anything that would have sparked the fire.

The blaze was covering an area roughly 150 feet by 150 feet when emergency responders arrived.

The early season fire grew mainly due to the unique aspects of the landscape. Manly said the property is basically a basin that is exposed to early morning sunlight, with the ground cover continuing to dry out during the day. 

The land had been baking under the sun for the past 36 hours, he said.

The fire is still under investigation, but Manly said the cause likely may eventually be attributed to someone shooting at targets.

“Our experience tells us someone was probably shooting,” Manly said.

The area that burned was roughly .77 acres in size.

Firefighters stayed at the scene overnight Saturday in case of any flareups from hotspots.

Manly said the Bonneville Power Administration was contacted because of the location of nearby power lines, but there was no indication the lines had been damaged by the blaze.