SURFSIDE — It was hot, dry and windy in Surfside on Saturday, June 4, so when a dune grass fire sparked near 354th Place and F Street around 12:15 p.m., it could have been catastrophic.

With an unpredictable wind pushing the rapidly growing fire south, toward dense stretches of dune-grass and scrub pines, and east, toward a row of beachfront homes, it required a remarkable response to rise above the conditions. It arrived, in the form of four fire departments, seven brush engines, one Brush Hog and dozens of residents with garden hoses. Three hours later, more than 12 acres of dune had burned, placing 10 homes — valued at about $1.6 million dollars — at risk. But the fire was out. Though one home did briefly catch fire, nobody was hurt, and all structures were spared from serious damage.

Pacific County Fire District No. 1 was first dispatched at 12:17 p.m., after a 911 caller reported that a campfire had ignited a patch of dune grass. At the scene, the first small group of firefighters began battling a roughly 40-square-feet fire that was threatening a home. They quickly made the first of several calls for additional help. The additional resources, from the volunteer Ilwaco, Long Beach and Chinook Fire Departments, arrived in waves over the next hour.

With temperatures in the high 70s, the firefighters, many of whom had come dressed in the heavy gear used to fight structure fires, were fatiguing quickly as they worked to contain the fast-moving fire.

“We had a pretty significant wind coming off the ocean from the north and northwest,” PCFD Chief Jacob Brundage said on June 6.

In less than an hour, the fire had spread with alarming intensity and speed, and the PCFD firefighters needed all the help they could get.

“There was a guy who happened to have a Brush Hog, and he immediately started cutting dune grass down to create some fire breaks, which slowed the progress of the fire. He helped tremendously,” Brundage said.

Firefighters raced south to try and get ahead of the fire, but changing wind patterns spread the flames in several directions. In some cases, the blaze came within a couple feet of homes. Surfside residents and visitors responded with water for firefighters, and a reserve of garden hoses. Many homeowners began working to protect their property, spraying a steady stream on the encroaching flames. Among them was Brian Burks, who came from Oysterville to help out.

“We ran up and grabbed some hoses and started fighting,” Burks said, “I’m sure they would do the same thing for me.”

As the smoke grew thicker over Surfside around 1:40 p.m., emergency responders recommended a voluntary evacuation for homes north of Oysterville beach approach.

Meanwhile, curious citizens gathered in the streets around the fire.

Surfside resident Rik Apling was returning home with his wife when they saw the smoke. They raced north, uncertain what they would find.

“She was saying ‘Oh my God, oh my God, it’s our house! It’s our house!’” Apling said. The fire was quickly closing in on their home. Apling joined the fight. Along with David Scafe, Greg Ives and Gary Adams, he connected more than a dozen garden hoses. Soon they had a hose that stretched several hundred feet, making it possible to reach fire spots over the dunes. That freed up firefighters to focus on other threatened structures. The Aplings’ house was spared.

“The residents in the whole neighborhood were extremely helpful. I mean, they were trying everything they could,” Brundage said.

Firefighters extinguished the fire around 4 p.m. Staff from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources arrived, to make sure the fire didn’t reignite, and to assess the damage.

Of the 10 homes that were threatened, only one sustained any real damage, when its attic and roof ignited, Brundage said. Fire investigators estimated the damage at approximately $10,000.

“Our main focus was keeping the fire away from the houses,” Brundage explained. “What we don’t want is houses catching on fire, because then we have a much larger problem.”

Brundage offered the following advice to anyone considering a burn:

• Be attentive at all times

• Do not burn in an area that has flammable vegetation around

• Establish a defensible space around any structures

• Do not burn outside when the wind is gusting