On April 22, just before 9 p.m., firefighters responded to vague reports of a plume of black smoke in the area of Northwest Saltzman and Laidlaw roads in Washington County (also known as the Bethany area).

After searching for several minutes, they located an abandoned structure ablaze in the 4700 block of Northwest Saltzman Road. Firefighters had to stretch approximately 500 feet of hose to reach the home nestled in a low, marshy area off the road.

Since no one was inside the structure and there was a large volume of fire, firefighters fought the fire defensively. The fire burned through the roof, which later collapsed. They contained the fire within 30 minutes and prevented it from spreading to an adjacent structure or nearby brush. Several units remained on scene for nearly an hour to extinguish hot spots.

Fire commanders learned that the property and structures are owned by Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District, and both abandoned homes are slated for demolition. Neither home had fire sprinkler or alarm systems.

On April 23, just after 9 p.m., a security guard for Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District called 911 to report another fire in the structure adjacent the fire unit from the night before. Firefighters quickly contained the small fire, which affected two rooms.

Both fires remain under investigation, and there were no injuries.