NEWS RELEASE
February 13, 2002
Release: Immediately
Contact: Storm Smith, 503-612-7013 / Pager 503-301-9135
(Three Children Escape Apartment Fire)
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue firefighters saved three Beaverton children from a smoky apartment fire early Wednesday morning. A neighbor awakened the on-site property maintenance worker to report a smell of smoke. Robert Tompkins investigated and found smoke coming from a window of the Fountain Park Apartments at 4755 SW 142nd Ave. He pulled the local fire alarm and notified 9-1-1. No one responded to his repeated knocking on the apartment door.
The first engine company arrived at 4:14 a.m. and the firefighters who entered the apartment found a smoky mattress fire in the unoccupied front bedroom. As they quickly extinguished the fire, another crew entered the rear bedroom through a window and carried three children to safety. They were checked out by paramedics and found to be unhurt. The ages of the children were 14 (female), five (male), and three (male). The parents, who reportedly had been away from the apartment for a Chinese New Year celebration, were notified and returned home.
The apartment sustained only minimal damage. Investigators believe the fire started from bedding that had come in contact with a baseboard electric heater. Fire crews examined the apartment's smoke alarm and found that the battery had been improperly inserted rendering the alarm inoperative.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue reminds you to check your smoke alarms regularly to ensure they are working. Oregon law requires that after January 1, 2002, all apartments and rental property must have the new smoke alarms with hush buttons and long life batteries. Hard-wired alarms must also be replaced with alarms that include the hush feature.
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