Crews cut through sheet metal to access hot spots at a shop fire on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Photo: Forest Grove Fire & Rescue
Crews from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue and neighboring fire agencies fought a two-alarm fire early Tuesday morning that largely destroyed a shop on Hillside Road. No one was injured in the fire.
Crews were dispatched to the fire at 12:54 a.m. Tuesday, June 1. The 2,000 square foot shop, located in the Forest Grove Rural Fire Protection District on Hillside Road near Kansas City Road, was heavily involved in flames when crews arrived.
Crews fight a shop fire in the Hillside area on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Photo: Forest Grove Fire & Rescue
Despite significant progress after about 30 minutes on scene, a number of factors proved challenging in fighting the fire.
“Firefighters were able to get a bulk of the fire extinguished, but were hampered by propane tanks that kept reigniting the flames,” Forest Grove Fire & Rescue said.
Sheet metal that lined the interior and exterior of the shop had to be cut off of the structure to access hot spots that still burned, which prompted a second alarm to dispatch more firefighters to assist with the work.
The nearby rural area does not have any fire hydrants or municipal water, forcing emergency crews to shuttle water from Forest Grove fire hydrants to the scene in water tenders.
The shop and its contents were heavily damaged. The cause remains under investigation.
At 2:37 a.m., the fire was “deemed under control.”
Joining Forest Grove Fire & Rescue were crews from Cornelius Fire Department, Banks Fire District 13, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Gaston Rural Fire District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, and personnel from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
All told, eight engines, four water tenders, two chiefs were on scene, with 37 total firefighting personnel battling the blaze.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
