2nd Alarm Fire Heavily Damages Forest Grove House (Photo) -06/03/25

At 9:04am on Tuesday June 3rd, Forest Grove Firefighters were dispatched to a house fire on Rhodora Street. While crews were responding, a large column of smoke was visible and the incident was upgraded to a confirmed fire (1st Alarm assignment). The first fire unit arrived four minutes after being dispatched to find a house with a large volume of fire in the back of the house, the flames had begun to also spread through the house. Due to the amount of fire, incident command requested a 2nd Alarm to bring additional crews to the scene. It took firefighters approximately 30 minutes to knock down the flames with an additional hour of putting out hot spots.

 

During the first few minutes of the incident, there was initially an unknown type gas cylinder venting under the burning debris. Until crews could find out what type it was, incident command requested our dispatch center to send out a reverse 911 message to area residents and businesses to shelter in place. This request was lifted twenty minutes later once it was determined to be a propane tank and it had stopped venting. 

 

Two residents were home at the time of the fire and were able to evacuate from the house when the fire was discovered. One of those residents was evaluated on scene by AMR for potentials burns, but did not require further treatment at a hospital.

 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but is believed to have originated on the back deck/patio of the house. A total of six adults are displaced and are receiving assistance by the American Red Cross. 

 

With cell phones becoming the primary communications source for houses, it is a great reminder to register your phone number(s) with your address. This will allow you to recieve emergency alerts like evacuation notices during emergencies. To sign up or update your information, visit publicalerts.org.

 

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Fire Damages Forest Grove Home (Photo) -06/02/25

At 3:13pm on Monday June 2nd, Forest Grove Firefighters were dispatched to a reported house fire on D Street. Crews arrived minutes later to find fire showing out of the front window of the house. Firefighters knocked down the flames through the window while they forced entry through the front door. Once inside, firefighters were able to extinguish most of the fire, but it had spread upstairs into an attic that was converted into a bedroom. Crews used saws to cut holes in the roof to help with heat and smoke removal, but to also access hidden attic areas with hot spots. In total, it took firefighters approximately 30 minutes to deem the incident under control. 

 

While firefighters were fighting the flames, they were also searching for anyone trapped, which is a standard practice. Thankfully no one was home, but during the search, eleven cats were found. Of the eleven found, nine had succumbed to smoke inhalation, while two others were taken to a local vetrinary office for further evaluation.

The fire significantly damaged portions of the house. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. No injuries were reported. 
 

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Escaped Burn Pile Burns Down Shed (Photo) -05/24/25

At 3:40pm on Saturday May 24th, firefighters were dispatched to a reported barn fire on NW Soda Springs Road in the rural community of Gales Creek. Fire crews arrived minutes later to find a 400 square foot shed fully engulfed in flames and mostly collapsed on itself. Firefighters worked on preventing the flames spreading to a nearby grass field and then extinguished the reminants of the burning building. 

 

Talking with the property owner, investigators determined that they had a burn pile approximately 20 feet from the shed and with the afternoon wind shift, embers spread to the shed. 
 

Escaped burn piles cause dozens of fires in our region every year. If you're allowed to conduct a burn pile, follow the these simple safety tips:

• Never leave a burn pile unattended
• Have proper equipment like a hose and shovel ready to use
• Clear a bare dirt area around the burn pile
• Fully extinguish the fire when done, make sure there are no more warm embers 

Forest Grove Fire & Rescue was assisted on scene by Banks Fire District. 
 

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