After an increase in outdoor fires and debris burning in recent weeks, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue’s Fire Marshal is advising residents of the district that a High-Fire Danger Burn Ban originally enacted on June 14, 2023, will remain in effect as fire risk remains elevated. The ban remains in effect throughout TVF&R’s jurisdiction, including areas served in Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas, and Yamhill Counties. 

The burn ban, which was enacted based on recommendations from the Washington County Fire Defense Board, is intended to prevent the start of outside fires that may grow out of control and become destructive. Recently, investigators within the Fire Marshal’s Office have reported an uptick in calls for unlawful debris burning. As a reminder, burning restrictions are authorized under Oregon Revised Statute 478.960 and Oregon Fire Code 307.

The burn ban prohibits all the following: 

1. Backyard or open burning (branches, yard debris, etc.). 
2. Agricultural burning (agricultural wastes, crops, field burning, etc.). 
3. Any other land clearing, slash, stump, waste, debris or controlled burning.

The burn ban does not prohibit: 

1. Small outdoor cooking, warming or recreational fires. These include portable or permanent fire pits, fire tables, and campfires, with a maximum fuel area of three feet in diameter and two feet in height in a safe location away from combustibles or vegetation and are fully extinguished after use.
2. Barbeque grills, smokers and similar cooking appliances with clean, dry firewood, briquettes, wood chips, pellets, propane, natural gas, or similar fuels.

There may be more restrictive fire safety rules on and within a 1/8 mile of Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF)-protected land, which exists throughout much of rural Washington County. ODF restrictions may include prohibitions on campfires, smoking, target shooting, powered equipment, motorized vehicles, and other public/private landowner and industrial fire restrictions. More details about ODF fire restrictions are available at https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/PFR.html.

Outdoor fires in violation of this burn ban may be immediately extinguished. If a fire agency responds to a fire that has been started in willful violation of this burn ban, the person responsible may be liable for all costs incurred, as well as legal fees per ORS 478.965.

Fire chiefs in Washington County encourage the public to use extreme caution with activities that could start a fire. It is everyone’s responsibility to prevent and be prepared for wildfires. 

At 12:08 p.m. Thursday, callers to 911 reported seeing thick, black smoke billowing from a home on Plainview Road off Cornelius Pass Road in unincorporated Multnomah County. Fire crews from Portland Fire & Rescue were first to arrive on scene and confirmed to dispatch that a home was fully engulfed in flames. There were no reports or signs of occupants in the home at the time. Portland crews took command of the scene and began fighting the fire from the outside of the single-story home.

Additional resources, including TVF&R apparatus, arrived and helped establish a water supply. Firefighters entered the structure through a daylight basement and worked their way to the first floor where they found one deceased individual along with a dog. Firefighters then conducted a second search of the home to confirm there were no additional occupants inside. The fire was brought under control at 1:21 p.m. Upon discovering the remains, the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office was also called to the scene to confirm cause of death. A chaplain was later dispatched to assist family members who began to arrive at the home. 

In addition to the loss of life, this fire posed numerous challenges for fire crews due to its rural location. Long, narrow streets and driveways left little room for fire crews to maneuver large apparatus and equipment. Due to the lack of hydrants in the area, water had to be trucked in using water tenders. Cornelius Pass Road was temporarily shut down to facilitate firefighting operations. Firefighters also had to carefully maneuver through the home as the fire compromised its structural stability. 

TVF&R investigators responded to the scene and are working to determine the cause and origin of the fire. The home suffered extensive damage and is a total loss. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating the circumstances of the fire. 

TVF&R is grateful to the numerous partners who assisted with firefighting, traffic control, investigation, and support services. Thank you to Portland Fire & Rescue Bureau, Hillsboro Fire and Rescue, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office, Multnomah County Animal Services, Oregon Department of Transportation, the American Red Cross, Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications, Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency, Portland General Electric, and Northwest Natural Gas. 

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Firefighters were dispatched to the report of a residential structure fire in the 5300 block of SW Lombard Ave in Beaverton at 11:27 pm last night. Multiple callers to 911 reported fire in a residence at this location. The first arriving fire unit reported heavy fire on the second floor of the home, with fire spreading throughout the entire structure. Firefighters initiated an aggressive fire attack and began to search for possible victims inside the residence. The construction of the home provided for difficult access to concealed and hidden spaces as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames for over an hour. 

One firefighter sustained minor injuries during firefighting operations. The firefighter was treated on scene by TVFR fire medics and transported to a local hospital by AMR ambulance. The firefighter was treated and released from the hospital early this morning.

The home was unoccupied at the time of the fire and was reported to be used by squatters. Firefighters encountered hoarding conditions inside the home that also hampered firefighting efforts. A TVFR fire investigator is working to determine the cause of the fire. There is no cause determination at this time. 

Firefighters were assisted on scene by Beaverton Police, AMR ambulance, PGE, and NW natural gas.