At 9:21 p.m. on December 24, multiple callers reported to 911 dispatchers that they saw flames and heavy smoke coming from a two-story home on Frenwood Way in Beaverton.

While firefighters were en route, a man driving home saw the flames and notified neighboring homes. One of the neighbors he notified realized the homeowner may still be inside. Both men headed toward the home and found the homeowner near the front porch. As they approached, the fire behavior increased dramatically, pushing the men backward and the homeowner to the ground. The neighbor then crawled to the homeowner and dragged him away from the burning home.

Firefighters arrived shortly afterward and began providing advanced life support. The patient was transported to a nearby hospital by Metro West Ambulance with life-threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, teams of firefighters began attacking the fire and searching the home to ensure no other occupants were inside the house.

With flames through the roof of the home and heavy black smoke pushing out the windows, firefighters pulled multiple hose lines and set up an elevated water platform to attack the fire from an overhead position. These actions stopped the spread of the fire, saving neighboring homes and preventing the large trees on the property from catching fire.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue investigators determined that the fire’s area of origin was the front living room and its cause was a home heating device.