Fires in Hansville and near Kingston were extinguished with little damage.

Early detection and a fast fire department response kept a chimney-sparked attic fire from causing serious damage in Hansville Monday.

North Kitsap Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to a home on Twin Spits Road at 7:50 a.m. The incident was upgraded to a structure fire. The first crew arrived in just over 5 minutes. Light smoke was coming from the eaves, and the home was evacuated. Firefighters were able to make access to the attic and snuff the fire quickly, using less than five gallons of water.

It appeared that several cracks in a pellet stove’s chimney pipe had allowed superheated air to reduce the ignition temperature of wooden structural members in the attic. The ensuing fire’s damage was limited because the occupants were home, noticed smoke coming from the house’s eaves and got firefighters on their way with an early 9-1-1 call.

Officials recommend that all chimneys be swept and inspected annually by professionals.

Meanwhile, about an acre of vegetation was scorched in a brush fire on the Port Gamble S’Klallam Reservation Sunday evening. Fire officials say the blaze likely resulted from an outdoor burn pile near an adjacent home.

NKF&R crews were called to a Boston Lane address at 4:38 p.m. The first units arrived to find up to 4-foot flames spreading at a moderate pace in a ravine. High winds were fanning the fire and carrying embers. While one crew pulled 500 feet of hose into the gully to begin extinguishing the fire from its north side, another crew tied into the nearest hydrant about 400 feet away. Others pulled 500 feet of hose to attack the blaze from its south side. Two hours and an estimated 15,000 gallons later, the fire was extinguished.

The homeowner told fire officials that he’d been burning a stump and other natural vegetation earlier in the week, and fully extinguished the fire previous Thursday.