At 5:25am on March 26, 2014, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue was dispatched on an automatic commercial alarm at 13455 SW Tualatin Valley Highway in Beaverton. The alarm also indicated that a pull station at the address had been activated. Beaverton Engine 67 was the first unit to arrive within minutes and initially found nothing showing from the outside of the structure. Through a thorough and detailed search of the 4-story structure, they found signs of smoke on the second floor and quickly located the fire in a guest room on the first floor. The crews immediately went to work to put out the fire and prevent the fire from spreading to other rooms. The fire was upgraded to a first-alarm response as a precaution to bring in additional resources if needed should the fire have already spread through the walls or ceiling spaces. Within five minutes, the fire was completely knocked down. Thanks to the quick and thorough action of firefighters, the fire was contained to the single guest room. The guest room was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported.

A TVF&R Fire Investigator determined that the area of origin for the fire was near a room air conditioning unit. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. Initial damage estimates are $20,000 for the room contents only.

The fire alarm system at the location worked as expected and notified guests of the emergency and prompted a safe evacuation. TVF&R would like to remind everyone that when travelling and staying in hotels, be aware of emergency exits and the nearest routes to safety should a fire occur. Place shoes and important documents nearby to quickly escape and never return to a room to retrieve anything. For more information and tips, please visit www.tvfr.com.