A potentially dangerous brush fire in the area of Waterfront Park was quelled quickly Monday afternoon thanks to the speedy response of several people nearby and the Bainbridge Island Fire Department.

A 20-foot by 20-foot area of hillside was burned, Bainbridge Island Fire Department Assistant Chief Luke Carpenter said, in about ten minutes Monday, near a trail in Waterfront Park, after wisps of smoke were first seen by several people nearby at around 1:30 p.m.

“Some park district employees and other folks put a garden hose on it,” Carpenter said of the growing fire, which was most likely ignited by “improperly discarded smoking material.”

“There’s really no other reason for this fire to have started,” Carpenter said.

Fortunately, the budding blaze was well in hand rather quickly, Carpenter said, as, given the recent dry weather and the upcoming record-setting temperatures, “even a small fire can grow very, very quickly.”

“We are urging people to be careful,” he added.

There were no injuries or significant damage reported.

Though there is currently no complete burn ban in effect, Carpenter called for caution and diligence among islanders in the days to come.