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Just after 4:30p.m. this afternoon, callers to 9-1-1 reported smoke and flames coming from a neighbor’s two-story home in the 40 block of SW 150th Avenue in Beaverton. While waiting for emergency responders to arrive at the scene, neighbors retrieved one dog from the back yard of the burning home and provided it with safe shelter nearby.
Firefighters arrived in less than five minutes of being dispatched and confirmed that the front of the home was engulfed in flames. They began an aggressive fire attack from outside the home before moving inside to conduct a search. After two searches, they confirmed that the home was unoccupied. They continued to fight the fire and worked for an hour to control the blaze.
Firefighters contended with several obstacles during this fire, including: excessive outside temperatures, a live downed power line, a partially collapsed roof and excessive belongings inside the home. The incident commander frequently rotated crews so they could restock air bottles and cool down. Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion.
Two people have been displaced by the fire and are being assisted by the American Red Cross. The home did not have a residential fire sprinkler system and is considered a total loss. A fire investigator will remain on scene to try and determine where and how the fire started.
Firefighters were humbled by the show of support in the neighborhood, including the sweet signs held up by local children. (See photo.)