At 7:12 p.m. Thursday, firefighters were dispatched to a report of a brush fire in the 32100 block of Northwest Padgett Road in Washington County, just north of Hillsboro. Firefighters from across the region responded and were notified by dispatch that a structure was also involved. Upon arrival, firefighters found a slow-moving brush fire and a medium-sized barn that was on fire.
Crews immediately worked to extinguish the fire that was extending up the hill toward Padgett Road. As they fought the brush fire, firefighters were able to start spraying water on the barn. Additional firefighters stretched a hose line around the other side of the brush fire to keep it from extending into heavy brush and trees. A pickup truck parked near the barn caught on fire and was a total loss. It took 35 firefighters approximately 35 minutes to bring the fire under control.
The barn was empty and unoccupied at the time of the fire. There were no injuries to any residents or firefighters. Additionally, no animals or livestock were injured. Due to the location of the fire, which included an area without fire hydrants, firefighters had to shuttle water to the scene.
A Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue fire investigator responded to the scene and found the fire most likely started from an unattended burn pile next to the barn.
Due to the location the fire in unincorporated Washington County, firefighters from multiple agencies responded to the scene. Hillsboro Fire, Cornelius Fire, Forest Grove Fire, and Banks Fire all assisted TVF&R with fire suppression efforts. Washington County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the initial operations of the scene, providing traffic control in the area.
TVF&R in conjunction with our partner agencies and the Washington County Fire Defense Board have enacted a high-fire danger burn ban. The burn ban is in effect throughout TVF&R’s entire jurisdiction, including areas served in Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas, and Yamhill counties. The current dry and warm weather pattern is expected through Monday, April 19, and has the potential for rapid fire spread.