Eight-foot arborvitaes, narrow evergreen plants, caught fire near a house in the 2500 block of 234th Place Southeast, Sammamish, around 10 a.m. Monday. No one was hurt.

The blaze began in a neighboring residence; the neighbor had been using a weed burner in his garden before flames got out of control, according to Eastside Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Bud Backer.

Backer had noticed a column of smoke earlier while driving along the 228th Avenue corridor in Sammamish Monday morning. He followed the smoke to the fire and initiated a residential structure fire response.

The residents in the nearby house were evacuated immediately. The burning plants were only a few feet from the home.

The neighbor who had been using a weed burner in his garden quickly responded to spreading flames. His instinct to grab a garden hose kept the fire from reaching the house, according to Backer.

While the arborvitaes were green on the outside, their centers were very dry, which feeds the flame. The rate of spread, however, is surprising for this time of year, Backer said.

It is against regulations to burn a pile of weeds within city limits.