Just after 3:30 a.m. this morning, multiple callers to the Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency 911 center reported a residential fire in the 15000 block of SW Jaylee Street in Beaverton. The incident was immediately upgraded to a first alarm to bring adequate resources to the scene.
Firefighters from TVF&R’s Farmington Road Station 67 arrived within three minutes of being dispatched to find a large volume of fire and heavy smoke at the back of the duplex traveling from the first to the second floor. As additional firefighters arrived, an aggressive interior and exterior fire attack was initiated to extinguish the fire that had spread to the attic space of the duplex. As a precaution, the incident commander called a second alarm to bring in extra resources. Those extra resources were cleared before arrival as initial units gained control of the fire in just under 25 minutes. Approximately 32 firefighters and 8 pieces of firefighting apparatus responded to the fire.
Fortunately all occupants were able to evacuate quickly and safety, but both duplex units received substantial damage during the fire and have been deemed uninhabitable. A total of four adults and one dog have been displaced. A TVF&R fire investigator is on scene to determine the cause of the fire. TVF&R was assisted on scene by Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, MetroWest Ambulance, and Portland General Electric.
Fortunately, the duplex had working carbon monoxide smoke alarms which warned residents allowing them time to safely evacuate. The duplex did not have a fire sprinkler system. When a fire sprinkler system is present, the likelihood of injuries and costly damage is dramatically reduced. More information about fire sprinkler systems can be found at: http://www.tvfr.com/index.aspx?nid=144