At noon today, a Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputy was driving along Durham Road in Tigard when he noticed smoke coming from a house located on 92nd Avenue. He immediately rerouted towards the direction of the smoke and radioed dispatchers at Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency (WCCCA), notifying them that there was a working house fire. A City of Tigard employee that was driving by the house also reported the fire to 911. With multiple credible sources, WCCCA dispatchers entered the incident into their system as a first-alarm fire to ensure adequate resources were sent to the scene. The call also generated a “residential fire” notification through the PulsePoint phone app, which alerted an off-duty Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue captain that was in the area. The captain immediately headed to the location of the fire where he and the deputy entered the house to ensure no one was trapped inside. They also began dousing the fire with a garden hose. 

The crew from King City Station 35 was first to arrive. They worked quickly to extinguish the remainder of the flames and remove smoke from the home. Firefighters rescued two dogs that were uninjured and happy to be reunited with their owners. Crews also found one cat that required resuscitation efforts. After a few minutes, the cat began breathing on its own and is expected to survive. A neighbor took the cat to a nearby veterinary clinic for further evaluation. 

According to the fire investigator, the cause of fire appears to be accidental and started on the stovetop in the kitchen. Two occupants and their three pets will be temporarily displaced because of fire and smoke damage. They will stay with neighbors while their home is restored. 

The home was not equipped with a residential fire sprinkler system. The house had one smoke alarm. Smoke alarms should be placed on every level of your home and in each sleeping area. 

          Information about smoke alarms can be found here: https://www.tvfr.com/145/Smoke-Alarms-Escape-Planning
          Information about fire sprinkler systems can be found at: http://www.tvfr.com/index.aspx?nid=144

To learn more about the PulsePoint phone app, visit https://www.pulsepoint.org/

In addition to Washington County Sheriff’s Office, TVF&R was assisted by Lake Oswego Fire Department and Tigard Police. Metro West Ambulance stayed at the scene of the fire in case anyone needed to be transported.