KINGSTON — No one has been injured in a five-acre wildland fire, east of Neat Avenue between Kingston and Jefferson Beach that started around 8 a.m. Aug. 8 in Kingston.

Michele Laboda, spokesperson for North Kitsap Fire & Rescue (NKF&R), said the fire is contained, and as of the morning of Aug. 10, firefighters are still working to ensure the fire is completely extinguished.

“It’s completely contained and mostly extinguished,” Laboda said. “Because it had been burning deep in the woods unnoticed — we have no idea how long — it takes a lot of digging and tearing apart the forest floor to make sure (the fire is extinguished).”

The fire continues to pose no immediate threat to nearby homes, smoke levels have decreased and the blaze’s cause has yet been determined. More than twenty firefighters have worked on stubborn and smoky wildland fire burning through the thick stands of second-growth timber in challenging terrain. Sunday, NKF&R was joined by a forester and a heavy equipment operator as well as by personnel from Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue and East Jefferson Fire — Rescue to fight the fire.

According to a press release issued by NKF&R, the fire generated enough smoke to be detected across the community and was initially difficult to locate and access. The fire was located about half a mile away from the closest road access, and more than a mile from the closest fire hydrant, and appeared to have been smoldering for several days prior to discovery.

On Saturday, a tractor and bulldozer created pathways to the fire. Firefighters eventually deployed thousands of feet of hose lines, and water was supplied by tender trucks carrying between 2,000 gallons and 3,000 gallons of water each.

Site conditions meant overnight operations were too dangerous Saturday night, but a crew remained on site and chased down flare-ups as they occurred. Sunday, 13 firefighters and a heavy-equipment operator were on site to fight the fire, with the help of an excavator “to re-stack heavy debris and help crews more efficiently reach hot spots,” according to the press release.

Another overnight team stayed Sunday night “to ensure the blaze’s continued containment.”

NKF&R officials have not yet determined a cause for the fire. The property owners told firefighters that “they’ve long been concerned about fireworks coming from neighboring properties in Jefferson beach,” according to the press release. However, no evidence has yet been found to tie fireworks use to the fire.

No structures have been damaged at, to date, there have been no injuries to firefighters or civilians.

“It poses no threat whatsoever as long as we remain on top of it,” Laboda said.

In an effort to avoid costly and complicated incidents such as the Neat Avenue Fire, officials imposed a prohibition on all outdoor fires on July 13. Under the ban, no open flames are allowed unless in contained BBQ units and fueled by charcoal, propane, natural gas or camping fuels. That ban is expected to remain in place until the region experiences significant and sustained rainfall. Though the recent rain showers certainly don’t hurt, officials emphasize that it won’t be enough to help extinguish the Neat Avenue Fire; nor is it enough to have a meaningful impact on current high levels of fire danger.

For up-to-date information about the burn ban in Kitsap County, visit www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/fire/docs/fm-burnban.htm.