At 5:27 p.m., TVF&R firefighters responded to reports of a large field on fire at SW Kobbe Lane and SW Tile Flat Road in the Beaverton area. As firefighters responded, a large column of black smoke could be seen rising from the vicinity of the incident.

Upon arrival, crews were met with extremely windy conditions and a fast moving brush fire in a recently harvested field. The incident commander made crew assignments for fire attack, water shuttling operations, and structural protection. Of specific concern was the fact that winds were heavy and sporadically changing direction, driving the fire towards two homes – one to the south and one to the east of the fire.

At 5:55 pm, the incident commander called for second alarm bringing additional resources to the scene to fight the fire. In total, 15 firefighting apparatus responded including mutual aid resources from Washington County Fire District 2. The fire was contained to approximately five acres and firefighters assigned to structural protection were able to successfully stop the fire from spreading to the two adjacent homes.

Fire crews remained on scene for three hours, hitting hot spots with water and foam to ensure that the fire was completely extinguished. Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to provide traffic control on SW Tile Flat Road during the incident. A fire investigator also responded to the scene. At this time, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

If you haven’t already, TVF&R urges citizens to examine the defensible space around your home because what you do before a wildfire strikes may determine firefighters’ ability to save your home.

What can you do? The recommended minimum defensible space is 30 feet, while homes located on a slope should have at least 100 feet of defensible space. Visit www.tvfr.com for tips on creating a defensible space around your home.