Downed lines spark brush fires on South Whidbey

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Downed power lines ignited two brush fires on the South End recently.

A tree fell across Double Bluff Road Saturday evening, bringing down a power line that ignited nearby grass, according to South Whidbey Fire/EMS Chief Nick Walsh. Approximately two acres burned before firefighters got the blaze under control.

Puget Sound Energy arrived at the scene to disconnect power shortly after firefighters were dispatched. No injuries occurred, and it is still unclear why the tree fell.

Firefighters from the state Department of Natural Resources arrived a couple of hours after the fire was extinguished.

“(The) DNR monitors dispatch and generally responds to all brush fires. We will also request them on any brush fire that we may need help on,” Walsh explained. “We tend to request early.”

A downed power line also sparked a smaller brush fire early Monday morning off Lancaster Road in Freeland. Firefighters extinguished it without incident.