Firefighters Knock Down Stubborn Apartment Fire (Photo) - 08/06/26

This afternoon at 1:32 p.m., Washington County 911 received reports of a fire alarm and visible flames on a fourth-floor balcony of a multi-story apartment complex in the 300 block of SE Edgeway Drive in Hillsboro. Callers reported smoke alarms sounding throughout the building and residents evacuating. The call was quickly upgraded to a first alarm, and shortly after the first units arrived, the incident commander called for additional Hillsboro Fire & Rescue and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue firefighters and resources to the scene.

TVF&R Squad 64 and Hillsboro Engine 6 arrived first to find smoke showing from a mid-span balcony on the fourth floor. Engine 6 crews advanced hose lines into the affected apartment while Rescue 6 completed a 360-degree size-up of the building, and Truck 5 crews provided ventilation to help clear smoke spreading from the fire unit to other parts of the building. Firefighters located a small fire that had extended into the exterior wall framing behind the balcony, but no indication of extension into the interior of the apartment.

Because the fire had burned into the wall framing and structural lumber, crews needed to carefully open the wall and balcony to extinguish the fire and fully check for hidden fire. This process took considerable time and required additional ladder crews to remove exterior siding. Firefighters also checked apartments on the floors below for water intrusion; those units were found vacant with minor water damage, and crews placed salvage tarps to limit further damage.

Because of the hot weather and heat conditions, rehabilitation was set up for firefighters to rest and rehydrate as they and other crews rotated assignments. Approximately 40 to 50 residents were temporarily evacuated from the building while firefighters worked. In coordination with property management, the Public Information Officer, and Hillsboro Public Safety Chaplains, residents were moved to the apartment community's air-conditioned community room, where they received water and shelter from the heat. Four apartment units were directly affected by the fire, displacing seven adults and five children, who are being temporarily relocated to other units within the community with additional assistance from the American Red Cross.

Two adult residents were assessed on scene for heat-related emergencies. One of them was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment. No firefighters were injured.

Hillsboro Fire & Rescue fire investigators responded to the scene, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Thanks to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Hillsboro Police, AMR Ambulance, and Hillsboro Public Safety Chaplains, who assisted at the incident.

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