TVF&R Firefighter Selected as Finalist in Live with Regis & Kelly Firehouse Cookoff; Needs Your Vote This Weekend - 07/30/10
TVF&R Firefighter—and chef extraordinaire—Don Schulte has been selected by Live with Regis and Kelly as one of four finalists in the Coast-to-Coast Firehouse Cook-off. To see his dish "Cinnamon Chicken with Ancho Chile Hot Sauce" and vote for Firefighter Schulte, visit the Live with Regis and Kelly website this Friday (7/31) through Sunday (8/2). The voting period occurs only on these three days, and you may vote once per day.

(http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/regisandkelly/contests/cookoff2010/vote.html)

Each week throughout the summer, a nominated Firefighter will have the chance to appear on LIVE to compete against other Firefighters. The winning Firefighter and their recipe will also appear in Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Vote today!

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TVF&R is on Facebook - 07/20/10
Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue now has a presence on Facebook. You can find the latest news and information about District happenings by visiting http://facebook.com/TualatinValleyFireandRescue.

"Facebook is one more tool that we plan to use to communicate with the people we serve," says TVF&R Partnership and Public Information Manager Karen Eubanks, "our goal is to use this tool to connect with our taxpayers and share important fire prevention and life safety messages with them. As the media landscape evolves, we're evolving with it." According to Facebook, there are more than 200,000 adult users in TVF&R's service area.

TVF&R utilizes a variety of mediums to communicate with people within its service area including traditional news media, community events, newsletters, and the internet. "We believe that by strategically communicating safety messages to the people we serve, we can prevent both fires and medical emergencies and make our community safer," Eubanks says.

TVF&R plans to update the Facebook page with photos and information about incidents, events, safety tips, capital improvement projects and more. The District now has a strong on-line presence at the following locations:

Website http://tvfr.com
Blog http://blog.tvfr.com
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/TualatinValleyFire
Twitter http://twitter.com/TVFR
Facebook http://facebook.com/TualatinValleyFireandRescue

Investigators Determine Cause of Fire on Tigard High School Campus - 07/16/10
Investigator Jeremy Foster from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue has determined the most probable cause of a fire which started just after midnight on the campus of Tigard High School. Based on the examination of physical evidence combined with interviews of school district staff and first-arriving firefighters, it is believed that oil-soaked rags are to blame for the small fire.

An alert driver from Pride Disposal Company called 9-1-1 to report flames near the school's track. When firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue arrived, they found a burning pile of debris next to a portable modular building. The debris proved to be the remnants of a 8' x 8' shed which was used to store landscaping tools. Yesterday school maintenance staff had been using linseed oil to recondition the wood handles of rakes, shovels and other equipment. They placed the oil-soaked rags into the shed. The rags likely spontaneously combusted and spread fire to the shed's contents.

The shed is a complete loss, but thanks to the alert passerby and quick response of firefighters, the damage to the modular was limited to some burned siding and eves. There were no injuries as a result of the fire.

Wood-refinishing and conditioning products usually contain linseed or other oils derived from vegetables or animals which, as they dry, generate their own heat. These oils can spontaneously ignite.

 Read carefully and follow all manufacturers' instructions on the stain container.

 Clean brushes and applicators according to instructions and either hang to dry or allow all items to dry flat on a non-combustible surface away from any combustible materials.

 Allow rags and tarps to dry flat on a non-combustible surface away from your home or place them in a metal container partially-filled with water and cover with a metal lid.

For more fire and life safety information, visit www.tvfr.com .

Pair of Garbage Trucks Catch Fire Overnight in Aloha - 07/16/10
Just after 10 p.m. last night, firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue and Hillsboro Fire Department responded to reports of a fire and sounds of explosions at Aloha Garbage Company in the 20000 block of SW Blanton Street.

Within four minutes of being dispatched, firefighters arrived. After some initial challenges to gain entry into the secured site, firefighters were faced with two large garbage/recycling trucks fully engulfed in flames. They immediately began to fight the fire and protect nearby exposures from intense heat which had already caused the trucks' tires to burst.

Though the flames from the vehicles' cabs and exterior compartments were knocked down quickly, the fire inside the closed materials compartment burned stubbornly. Without the benefit of the hydraulics to open the compartment, firefighters had to use saws to breach the heavy-gauge steel to extinguish the remainder of the fire. Firefighters remained on scene for several hours contending with the residual heat and burning contents.

Though the fire remains under investigation, it is not currently considered suspicious. The fire appears to have started within a truck's garbage/recycling compartment. Further investigation will be done in partnership with a private investigator and initial damage assessments of the two garbage trucks and a nearby chipper are approximately $60,000.

Garbage and recycling haulers are at the mercy of what customers decide to place in their curbside bins, so it's always best to read labels regarding the proper disposal of household materials such as wood stain, paint, cleaning chemicals, medical waste, etc.

If people are unsure about proper waste or recycling disposal, they can call METRO's information line at 503-234-3000.

Fire District Bans Outdoor Burning - 07/14/10
On Thursday, July 15th, the Washington County Fire Defense Board will enact a Burn Ban for Washington County. Effective tomorrow, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R) has instituted a Burn Ban for its entire service area including all nine cities and unincorporated areas within Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah County.

The Burn Ban includes the following situations:
1. Backyard burning
2. Agricultural burning
3. Land clearing or slash burning (not associated with Oregon Department of Forestry jurisdiction)

The Burn Ban does not include the following situations:
1. Recreational burning (e.g., cooking fires, backyard pits.) Individuals intending to burn in this manner should use extreme caution.
2. Ceremonial fires or small fires used for religious or ceremonial purposes may be approved. This type of fire requires a permit issued by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.

Individuals found to be in violation of these requirements during the burn ban may be issued a citation and/or found liable for any property loss and suppression costs resulting from a burning incident. Additionally, TVF&R urges residents to use extreme caution when using their legal fireworks and other fire materials this weekend due to warm temperatures and dry vegetative conditions.

For more information, visit www.tvfr.com.

A neighbor, a sledgehammer, a life saved - 07/10/10
Dave Kolander thought it was odd how a delivery truck pulled over in front of his home just prior to 1:30 PM today. When he stepped out to see what the driver was up to, he noticed smoke coming from his neighbor's house. That wasn't unusual as the occupant, an elderly gentleman, often used his fire place. Dave decided to investigate anyway, even as the delivery truck drove off. When he saw smoke curling up under the eave, it was clear that something much more serious was happening.

Dave rushed to the front door of 13639 NW Springville Road and tried to roust the neighbor he knew was inside. The door was locked, so he hurried next door to his home, yelled to his wife Marge to call 911, and grabbed a sledgehammer. With fire crews now underway, but several minutes away, he went to work at breaking into the home. He was quickly joined by two younger neighbors, Eddie Passadore and Jay Belcher. They broke out windows to vent the dark smoke that was clearly building inside the small home. Once the door came lose, they step into the smoke-filled living room, located their neighbor, and carried him outside and across the street.

When fire crews arrived, they found heavy fire coming from the kitchen area of the home, which they quickly controlled. An interior search of the home confirmed that no one else was inside. Other personnel provided emergency medical aid to the homeowner, who was stabilized and transported to an area hospital. No information is available on his condition.
Crews from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Portland, Hillsboro, and AMR all responded to the scene. "The emergency personnel did a great job, but they were quick to identify the neighbors as the real heroes here today; and the neighbors all pointed to Dave as the guy who led the charge," said Walt Peck, Community Services Director for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. "Had he not taken the time to check on the welfare of the elder next door, this would have had a very different and tragic outcome.

The cause of the fire is under investigation; there is no estimate of damage at this time.

Fire Sprinklers Avert Catastrophe at Assisted Care Facility Fire, Fire Caused by Fireworks - 07/09/10
Fire sprinklers kept a fire in the attic of a large assisted care facility in-check on July 4th, allowing firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue to extinguish the fire and care for more than 80 residents who had to be evacuated from the building.

"Given what we know about attic fires, there is little doubt that the sprinkler system likely prevented a catastrophe," says TVF&R Fire Marshal Steve Forster, "and with 80 residents, many of whom need wheelchairs to get around, that fire could have been a tragedy. That sprinkler system saved the day, giving our firefighters a critical hand in stopping that fire before it became much bigger."

"This incident highlights the great life saving work of another local agency that often gets little or no credit - the Building Department," Forster says, "our region's Building Officials ensure that critical life safety systems, like the fire sprinklers at Park Place, are designed properly and will work effectively. They are the unsung heroes of this incident."

An employee at the Park Place Assisted Living Community, located at 8665 SW Hemlock Street in unincorporated Washington County, called 911 on July 4th at 10:01 p.m. reporting that the building's roof was on fire. The first arriving fire units observed multiple fireworks detonating in the neighborhood and residents being evacuated from the building. As firefighters used ladders to access the two story building's roof and began to work to get to the seat of the fire, it became clear that more resources were needed at the scene. A second alarm was called at 10:24 p.m. and, soon after that, the decision was made to activate TVF&R's Incident Management Team (IMT).

"The staff at Park Place did a great job of evacuating their residents," says TVF&R Battalion Chief Dan Griffin, "when we arrived, they had already moved all of the building's second floor occupants to a staging area outside."

As firefighters extinguished the fire in the building's attic, other firefighters worked with Park Place staff to ensure that the residents of the assisted living facility were cared for. Together with the facility's staff, the TVF&R IMT coordinated the evacuation and placement of the residents in other assisted living facilities. The process of coordinating the relocation of the eighty residents who needed medical equipment and medications was complicated but, because of the resources available on-scene, occurred smoothly. Many of the residents use wheel-chairs and require special medical treatment. A large number of ambulances and vans from Metro West Ambulance and two buses from TriMet were used to transport the residents to other facilities.

After a thorough examination of the fire scene, a Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Investigator has determined that the most probable cause of the fire was the result of firework debris which ignited dryer lint on the roof that had accumulated below an exhaust fan.

A total of 17 fire apparatus from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue and Portland Fire and Rescue responded to the incident. Approximately 75 fire personnel were on scene.

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TVF&R on Alert for Wildfire - 07/08/10
Firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue are taking special precautions today to prepare for high temperatures and the increasing fire danger. To ensure an even quicker response to fires today, TVF&R will suspend attendance at some community events and firefighters from stations equipped with wild-land fire apparatus will be staffing 4-wheel drive wildfire units on all incidents.

A similar level of readiness yesterday allowed TVF&R to quickly bring the right resources to a fast-moving grass fire near Sherwood. The 3 acre fire burned a hay field at 2133 SW Lebeau Road, a rural area south of Sherwood. Temperatures in the mid-90's and a strong south wind were causing the fire to spreading quickly, with flame lengths of 20-30 feet, when the first unit arrived at 5:40 PM. Concerns about the fire spreading to adjacent homes and a forested area, and the need to haul water to the site, prompted the Incident Commander to call a second-alarm. Units from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Washington County Fire District 2, Newberg Fire, Hillsboro Fire and Lake Oswego Fire eventually responded.

Crews successfully protected all homes and structures and were able to contain the fire outside the adjacent forested area. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is undetermined.

"Conditions exist again today that can cause even a small fire to rage out of control quickly, says TVF&R Communications Officer Brian Barker, "so we need the public's help to prevent these fires from starting in the first place. Never throw cigarette butts out the window of your car, always use an ashtray. If you're anywhere near an open flame, take extra precautions today."

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

A TVF&R Public Information Officer is available to meet with reporters at TVF&R's Fire Station 64, located at 3355 NW 185th near the Sunset Highway, from 2:30 to 4:30 this afternoon to discuss the District's preparations for hot weather. A Heavy Brush firefighting unit is located at that station and firefighters will be reviewing wild-land fire training. The PIO pager is 503-441-9324.

Crews protect homes from fast-moving grass fire - 07/07/10
A three acre hay field, scheduled to be baled tomorrow, burned this afternoon in the summer's first significant grass fire for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. The fire occurred at 2133 SW Lebeau Road, a rural area south of Sherwood. Temperatures in the mid-90's and a strong south wind were causing the fire to spreading quickly with flame lengths of 20-30 feet when the first unit arrived at 5:40 PM.

Concerns about the fire spreading to adjacent homes and a forested area, and the need to haul water to the site, prompted the Incident Commander to call a second-alarm. Units from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Washington County Fire District 2, Newberg Fire, Hillsboro Fire and Lake Oswego Fire eventually responded.

Crews successfully protected all homes and structures and were able to contain the fire outside the adjacent forested area. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Fire at Assisted Living Facility Displaces 80 People - 07/05/10
Firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue extinguished a difficult to reach fire in the roof of a large assisted care facility in unincorporated Washington County tonight while ensuring that the more than eighty residents of the facility were well cared for.

An employee at the Park Place Assisted Living Community, located at 8665 SW Hemlock Street in unincorporated Washington County, called 911 at 10:01 p.m. reporting that the building's roof was on fire. The first arriving fire units observed smoke in the area and residents being evacuated from the building. As firefighters used ladders to access the two story building's roof and began to work to get to the seat of the fire, it became clear that more resources were needed at the scene. A second alarm was called at 10:24 p.m. and, soon after that, the decision was made to activate TVF&R's Incident Management Team.

As firefighters extinguished the fire in the building's attic, other firefighters worked to ensure that the residents of the assisted living facility were cared for. TVF&R's Incident Management Team quickly began coordinating the evacuation and placement of the residents in other assisted living facilities. The process of evacuating eighty residents who needed medical equipment and medications was complicated but, because of the resources available on-scene, occurred smoothly. Many of the residents use wheel-chairs and require special medical treatment. A large number of ambulances and vans from Metro West Ambulance and two buses from TriMet were used to transport the residents to other facilities.

Three people were treated by paramedics at the scene and two were transported to area hospitals for further medical evaluation.

"This was a complicated incident with a large number of people to care for and some logistical challenges," says TVF&R Communications Officer Brian Barker, "but we had the right resources and the right training to make sure these people were well cared for."

An investigator from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue is working to determine the cause of the fire. The building suffered fire and smoke damage in the attic above the second floor and extensive water damage. There is no monetary damage estimate at this time.

A total of 17 fire apparatus from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue and Portland Fire and Rescue responded to the incident. Approximately 75 fire personnel were on scene.

Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue Prepared for Busy Holiday Weekend - 07/02/10
Firefighters and deputy fire marshals from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue are prepared for a busy holiday weekend despite cool temperatures and recent rainfall.

"Fireworks, either legal or illegal, can still cause deadly fires despite the cool weather," says TVF&R public information officer Brian Barker, "we hope the public remembers to keep it legal and keep it safe this weekend."

This year, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue is partnering with local law enforcement agencies to educate the public about fireworks safety and to crack down on illegal fireworks. TVF&R firefighters will conduct neighborhood drive-bys on the Fourth of July and deputy fire marshals will ride along with law enforcement officers looking for citizens using illegal fireworks.

Oregon law bans fireworks that fly, explode, or move across the ground more than six feet. Fireworks purchased by mail order or in the state of Washington or on Native American reservations may be illegal in Oregon. This includes popular items such as bottle rockets, roman candles, firecrackers, and M80s. To keep it legal, purchase all fireworks at a licensed Oregon firework stand or retail outlet. Under Oregon law, law enforcement officers can seize illegal fireworks and you can be fined up to $500 per violation and/or arrested. You can also be held civilly liable for damages resulting from improper use of any fireworks – legal or illegal.

On average, TVF&R responds to approximately 50 firework fires each year and almost all of them can be prevented by using legal fireworks in a safe manner. Most firework-related fires are caused by careless use of fireworks or improperly disposing of used fireworks.

"Have a hose nearby in case of fire and place ‘spent' fireworks in a bucket of water," says TVF&R's Brian Barker, "one of the most common fires that TVF&R responds to involves ‘spent' fireworks placed in a bucket or grocery sack that rekindle and spread to fences, decks, and even homes."

Individuals concerned about neighbors using fireworks are reminded that Fourth of July festivities result in increased activity for all public safety agencies (i.e., crowd control, fires, medical emergencies, traffic issues, etc.). Individuals needing to report a fire or medical emergency should call 9-1-1; individuals wishing to report a nuisance or concern about illegal fireworks should do so via the non-emergency 9-1-1 number. These situations will be logged and passed on to local enforcement, and responded to as resources allow.