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Just before 4 p.m. today, WCCCA 911 dispatchers received multiple calls about a house that was on fire on Tuckerwood Court in Beaverton. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue firefighters were immediately dispatched to the scene. Based on initial descriptions from 911 callers and crews on their way to the scene who could see a black column of smoke in the vicinity of where they were headed, the incident was upgraded to a first alarm. This ensured adequate firefighting resources were sent to the scene to quickly extinguish the fire.
First incoming crews arrived in less than four minutes from initial dispatch and began aggressive fire attack measures to knockdown the flames and prevent any spread to adjacent houses and vegetation. Firefighters also performed a search of the home to confirm all occupants had safely evacuated.
The fire was deemed under control less than 20 minutes later. The fire caused extensive damage to the garage and living area and is considered a total loss. The door to one of the bedrooms was closed and the contents in that room were not damaged by flames.
A caretaker, who helps operate a daytime youth care home at the house, resides at the location. The owners of the care home business have arranged for alternate housing for the caretaker and will provide them all other essential needs. Thankfully, the caretaker and youth who were home at the time escaped safely and were uninjured.
A TVF&R investigator has narrowed down the origin of the fire to be in the garage. The exact cause is unconfirmed but appears to be accidental.
TVF&R was assisted on scene today by Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency, Beaverton Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Oswego Fire Department, Metro West Ambulance, City of Beaverton Public Works, Portland General Electric and NW Natural.
Effective today, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue will make history with the promotion of its first female captain, Karen Bureker.
Bureker began her career at TVF&R 19 years ago as a firefighter paramedic. In 2006, she promoted to apparatus operator followed by a promotion to lieutenant in 2014.
“Being promoted into the role of captain was a very challenging and competitive process,” states Captain Bureker. “It was a goal of mine to move through the ranks from the time I began my career, and it is humbling to get the opportunity to lead some of the greatest members in the fire service. As I take on this new role, I will remain committed to helping everyone around me succeed and achieve their goals, while we effectively fulfill our mission in serving our communities.”
The role of captain for Bureker will include being responsible for a fire station and personnel management of three shifts of crews, including lieutenants, apparatus operators, firefighters, and paramedics. Bureker has always been a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and as captain, she will hold the critical leadership role of ensuring an inclusive and respectful environment and shaping a culture that promotes the health and safety of all personnel.
“Karen has demonstrated proficiency at every level in the organization and will continue to be successful in this new role,” states Fire Chief Deric Weiss. “She has risen up through the ranks over 19 years and performed at a high level in each of them. Knowing Karen, this is merely the next step in her career, but for the District, it is an important benchmark toward our collective goals. She leads by example and has the ability to manage both incidents and personnel extremely well. Beyond firefighting, she has led initiatives that have made the District more welcoming to all, and I look forward to watching her continued growth and leadership.”
This past summer, Bureker served as a mentor to young women during the annual Portland Metro Fire Camp, which provides an opportunity for girls ages 16-21 to test out the firefighting role while being led by professional female firefighters from across the west coast. The camp inspires girls to become firefighters, helping instill confidence in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Bureker also actively participates in the yearly Women in Trades career fair, encouraging women to explore a rewarding career in the fire service.
According to a study released by the National Fire Protection Association, only 4% of career firefighters in the U.S. are female. As of today, TVF&R is hovering at just over 7%. In addition to the well-attended girls fire camp and career fairs, the District’s single-role paramedic program has helped boost the number of women applying to work on the line. These paramedics get a front seat to what the firefighting role entails and often opt to promote to firefighter-paramedics in future academies.
While progress is being made, there is still a need to forge ahead with efforts to increase diversity in the fire service. The District is committed to building a more diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve and creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.
Just after 3:30 a.m. this morning, multiple callers to the Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency 911 center reported a residential fire in the 15000 block of SW Jaylee Street in Beaverton. The incident was immediately upgraded to a first alarm to bring adequate resources to the scene.
Firefighters from TVF&R’s Farmington Road Station 67 arrived within three minutes of being dispatched to find a large volume of fire and heavy smoke at the back of the duplex traveling from the first to the second floor. As additional firefighters arrived, an aggressive interior and exterior fire attack was initiated to extinguish the fire that had spread to the attic space of the duplex. As a precaution, the incident commander called a second alarm to bring in extra resources. Those extra resources were cleared before arrival as initial units gained control of the fire in just under 25 minutes. Approximately 32 firefighters and 8 pieces of firefighting apparatus responded to the fire.
Both duplex units received substantial damage during the fire and have been deemed uninhabitable. A total of four adults and one dog have been displaced. A TVF&R fire investigator is on scene to determine the cause of the fire. TVF&R was assisted on scene by Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, MetroWest Ambulance, and Portland General Electric.
Fortunately, the duplex had working carbon monoxide smoke alarms which warned residents allowing them time to safely evacuate. The duplex did not have a fire sprinkler system. When a fire sprinkler system is present, the likelihood of injuries and costly damage is dramatically reduced. More information about fire sprinkler systems can be found at: http://www.tvfr.com/index.aspx?nid=144
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Just after 2:40 pm today multiple callers to the Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency 911 center reported a residential fire in the 16700 block of SW Spellman Drive in Beaverton. Firefighters from TVF&R’s Cooper Mountain station 69 arrived within four minutes of dispatch to find heavy fire through the roof of the residence. As additional firefighters arrived an aggressive interior fire attack was initiated to extinguish the fire, which had spread to the attic space of the home. As firefighters battled the intense flames and heat a partial collapse of the structure occurred, causing incident commanders to withdrawal firefighters from the home and change to a defensive strategy. Fortunately, no firefighters were injured when the collapse occurred.
Firefighters continued to battle the flames using exterior hose lines and elevated streams from TVF&R ladder trucks for the next 45 minutes. Due to the efforts of firefighters on scene the fire was contained to the original structure, and there was no fire spread to nearby homes and dense vegetation. Approximately 40 firefighters and 11 pieces of firefighting apparatus responded to the fire.
The home was unoccupied at the time of the fire and was currently listed for sale under contract. There were no other reports of injuries as a result of the fire. TVF&R fire investigators are currently working to determine the cause of the fire. The house has been deemed a total loss.
TVF&R was assisted on scene by the Washington County Sheriff’s office, Metro West Ambulance, Portland General Electric, and Northwest Natural Gas.
The home had working smoke alarms but did not have a fire sprinkler system. When a fire sprinkler system is present, the likelihood of injuries and costly damage is dramatically reduced. More information about fire sprinkler systems can be found at: http://www.tvfr.com/index.aspx?nid=144
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At 2:24 a.m. today, firefighters were dispatched to a reported residential fire in 300 block of Northwest Gina Way near the border of Hillsboro and Beaverton. The Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency received multiple calls reporting an apartment fire, with flames visible from the balcony. One caller reported two occupants were trapped in a bathroom on the second floor, and they could not get to an exit.
Firefighters from Hillsboro Fire & Rescue arrived on scene four minutes after dispatch to find a three-story apartment with fire and smoke visible from the front of the building with all three stories involved.
Firefighters quickly made their way to the second floor, locating the trapped occupants. They were evacuated from the apartment and taken to paramedics with Metro West Ambulance who were on scene. The rescued occupants were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Additional firefighters from Hillsboro and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue arrived and worked to extinguish the fire. Specialty-trained truck companies also responded to search the remainder of the structure for occupants and cut holes in the roof to ventilate the structure. The incident commander upgraded the incident to a second alarm bringing additional firefighters to the scene.
The fire was deemed under control at 2:41 a.m. Firefighters remained on scene for multiple hours, extinguishing hot spots and ensuring the fire remained out. In total, three apartment units suffered fire, smoke, and water damage.
A TVF&R fire investigator responded and determined the cause of the fire was due to an unattended lit candle on an apartment balcony.
TVF&R encourages everyone to take precautions when using candles. More than half (56%) of home candle fires occur because some form of combustible material comes too close to the candle.
- Keep candles at least one foot away from things that can burn.
- Keep candles away from areas where small children and pets play.
- Always blow out candles before leaving the area or going to sleep.
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