Firefighter Extinguish Difficult Brush Fire (Photo) - 08/24/25

At 2:10am on Sunday August 24th, Forest Grove Firefighters were dispatched to a reported brush fire in the 49000 block of NW Strohmayer Road in rural Washington County. A passerby discovered the fire and called 911 while also alerting the residents in a house directly in the path of the flames. Firefighters arrived minutes later to find a brush fire burning behind a house along a very steep embankment. Their first task was to protect the structure and make sure the residents evacuated. Firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading to the house and other buildings on the property. Other crews began to ascend the approximately 70 degree vertical slopes to begin extinguishing the flames as well as constructing containment lines. 
 

It took firefighters over two hours to deem the fire under control. This extended timeline was due to safety precautions taken with firefighters working in low light conditions in extremely steep terrain as well as working near damaged trees that had potential to fall on crews. Firefighters remained for several more hours extinguishing hotspots and strengthening the containment line. 
 

In total, the fire burned approximately one and a half acres of medium to heavy vegetation. There were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Due to high temperatures forecasted for today, a fire crew is remaining on scene throughout the day to monitor the scene for hot spots. 
 

Forest Grove Fire & Rescue was assisted on scene by Banks Fire District, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Cornelius Fire Department, Oregon Department of Forestry and Washington County Sheriffs Office. 
 

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