Last Friday, an early evening fire could have been disastrous had it not been for an automatic fire sprinkler system. The fire, which occurred in an unoccupied apartment at the Gettisburg Apartments, 10735 S.W. 69^th Avenue in Tigard, was discovered by a tenant who saw a "glow" in the window of the involved unit. He quickly notified the manager and they made entry into the unit, where they found heavy smoke and heat. Five engines, a truck, a rescue, and two Battalion Chiefs from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the incident. First arriving units saw smoke near the rear of the involved apartment and immediately began preparing to attack the fire with hand lines. Upon accessing the apartment, firefighters found that, although the unit was completely filled with smoke, the fire had already been extinguished by an automatic sprinkler system. The only remnant of a fire was several embers still burning on a chair.

The fire remains under investigation at this time. Property damage is estimated to be between $5,000-$10,000. The American Red Cross provided lodging to the male tenant of the involved apartment.