ARLINGTON — About 25 homes were evacuated as a six-acre brush fire burned Thursday afternoon east of Arlington.
The fire was first reported around 1:45 p.m. off 99th Drive NE in the Arlington Heights area. Within the hour, at least nine fire engines were sent to fight the flames on a hillside of blackberry bushes and timber, said Joe Smillie, a spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources.
Residents in the neighborhood received reverse 911 calls telling them to leave immediately, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
The fire came within hundreds feet of about six homes. None were reported to be damaged.
The sheriff’s office sent in a helicopter with a water bucket to help as the fire continued to spread around 3 p.m. Later, a state wildfire helicopter arrived along with two bulldozers and a 10-person handcrew.
Winds of about 12 mph pushed the flames southeast.
The helicopters pulled water from the Stillaguamish River. Fighting it from the air helped greatly in getting the fire under control, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
“We’re giving it all we’ve got,” Smillie said more than three hours in. “It’s at that stage where you’re not quite optimistic, but you’re not quite pessimistic.”
At least 70 firefighters responded, either fighting the fire itself or making sure it didn’t climb the hill to threaten houses on Maranatha Way, said Chad Schmidt, chief of Snohomish County Fire District 21.
By evening people were allowed to return to their homes. Local firefighters returned to their stations, except for one brush truck, one fire engine and two water tenders. State crews remained on scene, building a fire line in the thick blackberry brush.
They expected to stay through the night.
Caleb Hutton: 425-339-3454; chutton@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snocaleb.
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