KINGSTON — No one was injured, but several buildings were threatened in a fire that started due to an illegal burn barrel.

The fire, started around 8:35 a.m. Aug. 7 on Early Dawn Lane off Miller Bay Road, burned about 900 square feet of vegetation before being put out by North Kitsap Fire & Rescue (NKF&R) crews.

The first crew arrived within seven minutes of the 911 call, according to a press release issued by NKF&R. No flames were reported visible from that crew, which is credited by firefighters to the property owner, who used a garden hose to slow the fire’s progress.

The property owner told NKF&R that he’d just lit the burn barrel when sparks escaped the container and the fire started “and spread with incredible speed,” according to the press release.

The property owner told NKF&R that he’d used the burn barrel “many times without incident.” However, there is currently a burn ban on all outdoor fires, and has been since July 13. Burn barrels, also, are illegal all the time.

“Even when there is no fire danger burn ban in place, burn barrels have been outlawed in Kitsap County for several decades,” Michele Laboda, spokesperson for NKF&R, wrote in the press release. “Officials remind the public that, in the event that an out-of-control fire results from violation of the burn ban or other outdoor burning laws, private citizens may be held responsible for the cost of extinguishment, as well as for property damage.

“Furthermore, many homeowners’ insurance policies won’t pay for damages if they’re caused by the covered entity’s illegal activities.”

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