An emergency dispatch interrupted the North Whidbey Fire and Rescue monthly commissioners’ meeting Tuesday evening.

The call came in for a response to a 911 report that one individual was threatening to light another individual on fire.

Reacting to the call, several North Whidbey firefighters attending the meeting grabbed fire vehicle keys, their gear and headed to their trucks. Within minutes, they were on their way to the call site on Robin Lane, off of Silver Lake Road.

Driving to the scene of the call, firefighters received radio information detailing that the suspect was a white male; 5 feet, 10 inches; weighing 165 pounds, who had poured out a gallon of gasoline on his mother’s garage floor and told her he intended to light it. Threatened, she then called 911 and reported that she believed her son was trying to set her on fire.

Upon arriving to the scene, law enforcement officerss asked firefighters and emergency responders to stand by and stage for law enforcement, as the man and another suspect had run into the woods.

Within 20 minutes, the fire and emergency responders left the scene without having to engage in the situation, as it involved no fire or physical injuries.

Jan Smith, spokesperson for the Island County Sheriff’s office, said the call came at approximately 7:30 p.m. from the frightened mother whose son is a convicted felon.

Smith said the suspect is legally not allowed on his mother’s property, but that he came to his mother’s home in a drunken rampage. In his rampage, he allegedly cut his mother’s home phone lines, poured the gas over her garage floor and threatened her.

Smith said law enforcement cleared up the situation at approximately 8:30 p.m., without making any arrests and classified the episode as a family dispute.

Upon returning to the station, firefighters rejoined the district commissioners, who, minutes before, had just closed their business meeting.