Investigators from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue are working to determine the cause of an apartment fire that occurred in Tigard last night. At approximately 1:20 a.m., fire crews responded to a report of smoke and fire coming from the roof of Plaza Garden West Apartments, 11624 SW Lomita Avenue.

When the first engine arrived, they saw smoke and fire coming from the middle apartment of the seven-unit building. All tenants were immediately evacuated and a second alarm was called at 1:26 a.m.. Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire and isolated it to the unit of origin. Fortunately, all nine occupants of the two-story apartment escaped the building after being wakened by smoke detectors. Only one resident was transported to St. Vincent’s with smoke-inhalation injuries.

With the exception of the residents of the affected apartment and one adjacent unit, all other tenants were allowed to return to their homes. Apartment managers made a vacant apartment available to the fire victims and the American Red Cross provided them with blankets, toiletries and food.

According to Fire Investigator John Wolff, the firewalls built into the apartments greatly decreased the spread of fire. Though damage assessments are still being made, it has been determined that the upstairs portion and roof of the apartment will need to be rebuilt. The apartments do not have sprinkler systems which may have been able to extinguish the fire in the room of origin.

Fortunately the City of Tigard was the first city in the state of Oregon to adopt the new multi-family sprinkler amendment which requires fire sprinkler systems in new apartment buildings taller than one story or with more than 16 apartments on a single floor. During 1998 and 1999, several Fire District and local building officials testified before the Oregon State Building Codes Structures Board. The amendment was approved and, since that time, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue has been seeking local approval from the cities and counties it protects.