Firefighters from four different agencies worked together to prevent a 10-acre brushfire along a bluff at Fort Ebey State Park from threatening the forest and campgrounds Wednesday.

A helicopter dispatched from Ellensburg was still dropping sea water on to the mostly diffused flames early Wednesday night as part of efforts by wildland firefighters from the Washington Department of Natural Resources to handle fires on state lands.

North Whidbey Fire and Rescue was first to respond to the 3:10 p.m. call and was joined by Central Whidbey Fire & Rescue, Navy Region Northwest Fire and Emergency Services and DNR.

Because the fire was on a steep hillside, firefighters had trouble reaching flames near the bottom of the slope with their hoses, necessitating help from the air.

“The response was great,” said Mike Brown, deputy fire chief with North Whidbey Fire and Rescue. “With mutual aid, we all work very well together.”

The fire was started by a youth playing with a lighter who was part of a group camping at the state park.

Another brush fire near the same area was started July 3 by fireworks, said Jon Crimmins, area manager for Central Whidbey state parks.

Crimmins said he was grateful for the “amazing” response.

Brown said the fire posed a variety of challenges because of the steep slope and finding vantage points to fight the flames.

Firefighters tackled the fire from opposite ends to try to keep the flames from spreading to areas of lesser access.

The fire mostly remained in the tall dry grasses on the slope, however, it did reach bushes and other less dry vegetation at the hill’s crest in some places, particularly when winds picked up.

The helicopter arrived shortly after 5:30 p.m. and fire crews pulled out a half hour later with the fire contained to let wildland firefighters take over and mop up.

After refueling, the helicopter was still dropping water on the smoking hillside and extinguishing small flames after 7 p.m.