Fire crews have fully contained a brush fire along NE Smith Road in Clackamas County. The fire burned 14 acres. Crews spent the majority of this morning performing overhaul on the burn area, extinguishing hot spots and reinforcing a fire break around the perimeter. Heavy equipment bulldozers also cleared a wide swath to remove fuels and optimize the fire break.
Residents in the area were allowed to return home after an initial evacuation order along NE Smith Road that also extended to parts of NE Parrett Mountain and SW Heater Road. No injuries were reported and no structures were lost as a result of this fire.
The incident brought together resources from neighboring fire agencies including Newberg Fire Protection District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, McMinnville Fire Department, Dayton Fire Department, Lafayette Fire Department, Dundee Fire & Rescue, Aurora Fire District, and Washington County Fire District #2. Law enforcement agencies from Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Wilsonville Police Department with the evacuation and safety around the incident. All agencies worked in a coordinated and well-designed operation to control and extinguish the fire and provide for the utmost safety of residents and personnel working at the incident.
Based on where the fire started, a Newberg Fire investigator responded to the scene and is still working to determine the cause of the fire. The fire burned an area that spans jurisdictions of Newberg Rural Fire Protection District and Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue.
As dry weather and conditions continue, TVF&R would like to remind homeowners living in urban interface areas to create a defensible space around your home by trimming trees and shrubs, keeping vegetation watered, and storing combustibles away from structures.