Brush fires erupt at both ends of Whidbey
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Despite rainy, overcast weather, firefighters responded to brush fires at both ends of Whidbey Island over the weekend.
One accidentally started by a car spread to eight acres before firefighters extinguished it Saturday afternoon in a field across from the Blue Fox Drive-In.
No injuries occurred and no structures sustained damage as a result of the fire, which started after 3 p.m. near Highway 20 and Nature View Lane, according to North Whidbey Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Ray Merrill. It took his department — along with Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue, Navy Fire and the Department of Natural Resources — a little more than an hour to extinguish the flames.
“All those agencies were extremely important and vital to put this fire out,” Merrill said.
A man who lives nearby accidentally started the fire after his vehicle’s bumper struck a rock while he was driving through dry grass. Merrill said the impact created sparks, “like a flint,” igniting the grass. The resident called 911 as soon as he saw what happened.
Veronica Montanez, a resident of nearby Waterloo Road, captured photos of heavy smoke emanating from the fire. She said she noticed it around 3:10 p.m., not long after returning home, and intended to call 911 before she heard sirens indicating firefighters’ approach.
“They worked hard and did a fantastic job responding,” Montanez said.
Tall, dry grass and wind meant the fire spread quickly. Merrill estimated the fire came within 10 or 15 feet of one structure in the vicinity, but is unsure exactly how close flames got to homes on Misty Lane before they were extinguished.
“The winds were coming from the west and then turned and came from the east, so the fire went two different directions on us,” he explained.
Fire engines, brush trucks and water tenders surrounded the fire from multiple directions while crews worked to keep it from reaching nearby homes. A helicopter from the DNR was requested but canceled after firefighters got the blaze under control, Merrill added.
Firefighters were called into action again the following morning, this time on South Whidbey.
How that brush fire started is still unclear, South Whidbey Fire/EMS Fire Chief Nick Walsh said. A passerby called 911 after seeing flames and smoke from the road.
Firefighters worked to nearly completely extinguish the fire, which grew to 40-feet-by-40-feet, before turning the scene over to the DNR. The agency used an excavator to fully put it out, Walsh said.
In spite of recent rain, both departments routinely remind residents that dry grasses can still ignite quickly during the summer months.
