News Flash
Quick Action by Firefighters Keeps Second-Alarm Brush Fire from Becoming a Wildfire
Just one day after TVF&R implemented a burn ban in its large service area which includes portions of four counties, a brush and grass fire near the intersection of 209th Avenue and Farmington Road in Aloha threatened a home and burned two acres.
Just after 2p.m., initial callers reported flames 30-40 feet high burning brush and grass. Firefighters from TVF&R and Hillsboro Fire Department worked to access the head of the fire, establish a wet line around the perimeter and take a defensive position to ensure that a nearby home was protected.
Within 15 minutes, firefighters extinguished the bulk of fire and spent another two hours mopping up. They used four-wheel-drive vehicles called “brush rigs” to access off-road areas and the fire commander recalled the second alarm within 20 minutes.
Though the cause of the fire remains under investigation, today’s fire serves as a reminder of how recent hot weather has created dry conditions that increase the potential of fire from discarded cigarettes and other ignition sources.