NEWS RELEASE

A two-alarm fire just before midnight on July 4, 2000, destroyed the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses located at 7650 S.W. Hall Boulevard in Beaverton. A passer-by first noticed the church fire and stopped at a nearby house to call 9-1-1. Units from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene within five minutes. The first engine company saw flames and smoke coming from the eaves and attic vents of the 4,500 square foot building and asked for a second alarm to be sounded sending additional units to the scene. Firefighters attacked the blaze inside the building. However, after determining that fire had developed enough to weaken the building's lightweight wood roof trusses, the Incident Commander ordered the withdrawal of interior crews and the firefighters who were working on the roof. Fire crews then fought the fire from the exterior of the building.

More than 40 firefighters on eight engines and two ladder trucks worked for nearly 35 minutes to extinguish the blaze. There were no injuries. Investigators are on the scene today sifting through the rubble in an effort to determine the origin and cause of the fire.

Church officials' preliminary value of the building and contents is approximately $500,000. Church leaders say three congregations worship at the facility and the 400 people who make up those congregations will be worshiping at other Kingdom Halls in the area until their church is rebuilt.

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