An early morning fire destroyed a single-family home on Glendale Farm in Chimacum Saturday.

The home was fully engulfed in flames and had already collapsed when firefighters from East Jefferson Fire Rescue arrived at the property on Center Road around 5 a.m.
April 2 after a structure fire was reported, said East Jefferson Fire Chief Bret Black.

“We quickly realized it would need more resources and we paged out mutual aid resources from Quilcene and Brinnon and Port Ludlow,” Black said.

Engine 91 from Naval Magazine Indian Island also responded to the fire.

Battling the fire posed problems due to the cluttered nature of the property, with piles of debris scattered around the acreage, as well as multiple dilapidated vehicles and RVs.

“Our major challenges were access and a lack of water supply,” Black said, adding that the county’s help was essential in getting firefighters close to the blaze.

County roads crews brought in two excavators to move debris out of the way.

Extra water trucks were called in, the chief said, and fire lines had to be stretched to the road.

The single-story home was a total loss. 

“When we got there, it was already collapsed. It was a very fast fire,” he said.

The resident of the home made it out OK with some minor injuries, the chief said, and the person was treated by an aid unit but declined to be transported.

Two other residents on the property, and their dog, escaped injury and were being assisted by the Red Cross with housing.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Black said it was not suspicious.

With the structure already collapsed at the arrival time of first-in units, firefighters took up a defensive posture and worked to keep the fire from spreading.

Black estimated at least 10 emergency vehicles were at the fire at the peak time of the response.

Firefighters remained on the scene throughout Saturday, and have made return visits to guard against potential flare-ups.

“We’re still going out there periodically for smoke, and smoldering areas,” Black said. 

“We were out there continuously for at least 24 hours,” he said. “And, continuously going up, until now, just to make sure we really got it out.”

The emergency response left some drivers in the area temporarily stranded.

Highway 19 and Center Road were shut down because of the blaze just before 6:30 a.m., with Center Road finally reopening just before 3 p.m. Saturday.

Soaring flames from the fire were easily visible from Center Road, and the large plume of white and gray smoke could be seen for miles.

Neighbors said Glendale Farm, located near the 400 block of Center Road, has been the site of repeated fires in the past.

The devastating fire Saturday was also noted during Monday’s meeting of the board of county commissioners.

“It was a hard weekend in District 2,” said Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour.

She praised firefighters and county employees for their assistance at a “very complicated firefight.”

In addition to county public works crews, employees from the county’s Department of Community Development also went to the scene to help.

Black said Monday he welcomed the assistance from the county during the fire, which was the latest example of collaboration between the two entities.

“It’s really been appreciated,” Black said.