QUILCENE — An early morning fire Sunday engulfed a two story Quilcene residence, destroying the home of a family.

Emergency crews arrived at the burning house at 293363 Highway 101, minutes after a call that came in shortly after 2:30 a.m., fire officials said.

The home’s residents had already evacuated by the time firefighters were dispatched, and no one was hurt, said Jefferson County Fire District No. 2 Chief Bob Wilson.

The cause of the blaze and the amount of fire damage are yet to determined.

“We don’t think it’s suspicious,” Wilson said of the blaze.

Fire investigators declared the charred shell too dangerous to approach and were waiting for it to cool down late Sunday afternoon before investigating.

“The whole shop was totally engulfed when we got there,” said Wilson.

“The fire spread all through the house. Due to the type of construction and the limited water supply, it was hard to save the building.”

Own water

Firefighters brought their own water to the scene.

“There are no hydrants here in Quilcene,” Wilson said. “You have to bring water on your backs. We don’t have the luxury of water system as Port Angeles and Port Townsend do.”

Though plans to bring a water system to downtown Quilcene have been discussed, it will be a while before firefighters are able to use hydrants in the area, Wilson said.