TVF&R firefighters responded to back-to-back fire calls in the early hours of Tuesday morning, July 11. Just after midnight, crews were dispatched to reports of a possible residential fire, with callers reporting flames above the tree line in the 23000 block of SW Stafford Road. Due to multiple callers and their descriptions, the call was upgraded to a first-alarm fire to bring in additional units and resources, including support from Lake Oswego Fire Department. First arriving crews found a fully involved shop fire, threatening a nearby residence. Due to its location and lack of water supply, additional water tenders were dispatched, ultimately upgrading the call to a second alarm. Firefighters brought the fire under control, successfully protecting the residence.
Then at 3:12 a.m., while crews were still on scene in Tualatin working to extinguish hot spots, callers north of Newberg reported a brush fire in the 32000 block of SW Old Parrett Mountain Road, approximately one acre in size, potentially threatening a nearby barn. The incident commander was the first to arrive, upgraded the call to bring in additional resources, and began evacuating the nearby home's occupants. Again, due to its rural location, water tenders were utilized to bring water to the scene. The fire remains under investigation.
While these calls meant back-to-back incident responses for two stations, an incident commander, and a fire investigator, this broader system response highlights a benefit to residents living within TVF&R’s service area: the ability to send the right resources at the right time.