At 2 p.m. this afternoon, multiple calls to 911 came in regarding a fully engulfed barn that was also beginning to collapse at a farm on Wilsonville Road near Edminston Road.
As firefighters from Kinsman Road Station 52 left their fire station to head to the location, they could see a large column of smoke coming from the vicinity of the reported fire. The battalion chief assigned to the incident immediately upgraded the fire to a first alarm to ensure adequate resources were sent to the scene.
When the crew arrived, they found a collapsed pole barn that was fully engulfed in flames with several similar structures directly adjacent to it that had not caught fire yet. Firefighters immediately began aggressive fire attack methods as additional resources arrived on scene. Due to the rural location and lack of fire hydrants, water had to be shuttled to the scene by multiple water tenders, which also required temporarily closing Wilsonville Road to prevent any delay in operations.
Firefighters battled the fire for approximately 45 minutes, by ground and through aerial operations. The pole barn’s contents were hay, which greatly fueled the fire making it challenging to fully extinguish. Crews were able to keep the fire contained to the one pole barn, preventing extension to adjacent structures. The property owner also assisted firefighters by using their excavator to help extinguish the smoldering hay.
Warm temperatures required regular rotation of the firefighters to provide rehabilitation and prevent overheating. One firefighter did suffer from heat-related issues and was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated as a precaution. They are anticipated to fully recover.
An investigator is on scene; the cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
TVF&R was assisted by Lake Oswego Fire Department. Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office provided traffic control to ensure the scene was safe and accessible for responders.