Firefighters from multiple districts battled tough terrain and conditions to bring a structure and brush fire under control in the Cloquallum and Powers Creek roads area northeast of Elma Sunday evening, according to a statement from Grays Harbor Fire District 5.

District 5 was dispatched at 7:12 p.m. after smoke was reported in the area of the 300 block of Bush Creek Road. A fire engine crew went through the area unable to locate anything; however as they were returning they were able to see smoke in the brush and trees up a long driveway. The on-duty fire captain walked up the steep driveway and located a structure that had apparently been on fire for some time and had spread to the nearby brush, according to the District 5 report.

Fire District 5, along with firefighters from Elma, Fire District 12 and McCleary, were then requested for a confirmed residential structure fire, along with brush and wildland fire.

The fire presented a challenge as the structure had been burning for an unknown amount of time and burned to the ground, according to the report. Brush in the surrounding area had caught fire and there was a very steep, narrow and long driveway with very little room at the top for more than a few large fire vehicles.

A water drop tank was established so that the water tenders could unload their water, and then leave the location to allow for another water tender to bring more water to the site.

The State Department of Natural Rresources was requested to assist in attending to the hot spots in the wildland portion of the property. Deputies from the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Department assisted with traffic control because Cloquallum Road had to be closed due to the amount of department equipment blocking the roadway and no access to place them on the property of the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. An investigator from Fire District 5 and the Sheriff’s Department were scheduled to visit the scene Monday.