KINGSTON — More than 500 square feet of grass and brush were scorched but no structures or vehicles were damaged by a fast-moving brush fire thought to have been sparked by fireworks, Friday afternoon.

The fire was stopped quickly because of bystanders’ actions and firefighters’ quick response, North Kitsap Fire & Rescue spokeswoman Michele Laboda reported. The fire’s rapid growth provides a clear illustration of the region’s parched conditions and underscores the need for the coming outdoor burning ban as well as caution with all ignition sources, she reported.

North Kitsap Fire & Rescue, Bainbridge Island Fire Department and Poulsbo Fire Department crews were initially dispatched at 5:15 p.m. on Friday to multiple reports of a commercial building ablaze in downtown Kingston. In less than eight minutes after dispatch, the first NKF&R crews arrived on scene to find flames racing through blackberry bushes and grasses. Bystanders with fire extinguishers and garden hoses were trying to thwart the fire.

“Firefighters were able to quickly stop the fire’s progress before it involved an adjacent line of parked cars or the buildings of Kingston Mini Storage, just 10 feet away,” Laboda reported. “As soon as the threat to nearby structures and vehicles was over, firefighters cancelled the units still enroute to the scene from Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island.”

There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians.

Several witnesses gave detailed descriptions of a teen male who, just seconds before, was at the very location in which an apparent firework exploded and launched fireballs into the adjacent tinder-dry vegetation. Moments later, the bushes burst into flames.

“Not only is it illegal to discharge any fireworks in Kingston this long after the Fourth of July, it’s terribly dangerous under these dry conditions,” Laboda reported, pointing out to the speed at which this afternoon’s fire spread.

The Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office announced Thursday that, effective July 29 at 12:01 a.m., a Phase One Outdoor Burning Ban will be imposed due to high fire danger. Under the ban, all burning permits are suspended and outdoor burning (except for recreational or cooking fires under three feet in diameter in contained appliances or fire pits) is prohibited until further notice.

Anyone with information about Friday’s fire can call the Kitsap County Fire Marshal at (360) 337-4442.