At 7:33 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and Lake Oswego Fire Department were called to an apartment building in the 6100 block of Southwest Bonita Road on reports of a fire involving a downstairs unit and spreading to the unit above.
Crews arrived to find heavy fire in the lower unit with smoke and flames coming out of two additional units. Firefighters initiated a quick attack on the fire while conducting a search of the three involved units. Crews confirmed there were no occupants in any of the units. The fire extended into the building's attic space, requiring crews to work for an extended period to gain access to hotspots.
One firefighter was injured during the fire and transported for further care and has since been released.
A fire investigator responded to the scene and determined that an electric motorcycle located in the ground-level unit had been popping and smoking from the battery pack. The motorcycle was not being charged at the time. The battery eventually erupted into flames, causing rapid fire growth.
As a result of the fire, several adjacent units became uninhabitable due to smoke and water damage, and nine people were displaced in total.
TVF&R was also assisted on scene by Lake Oswego Police, American Medical Response, and Portland General Electric.
Images and videos provided by Lake Oswego Fire Department.