One resident died and a firefighter was briefly hospitalized after flames gutted a home built in 1895 on A Street on Friday evening. The house had been converted into a four-unit apartment.
Firefighters were dispatched to reports of a house fire at 5:16 p.m. Friday, July 25 at the home located on the 1900 block of A Street between Pacific Avenue and 19th Avenue.
In a message to News in the Grove, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue (FGF&R) spokesperson Dave Nemeyer said the home had housed five people across four apartment units.
"We are working on the investigation still," Nemeyer said, noting that it would be some time before a cause was publicly released. The Forest Grove Police Department was also investigating the fire, FGF&R said.
Four residents were displaced, Nemeyer said Saturday, adding that the American Red Cross was providing assistance.
The family of the resident killed in the fire was notified, FGF&R said.
The fifth resident, who has not been named, was found deceased when FGF&R arrived on scene three minutes after dispatch. Along the way, firefighters could see a large column of smoke, prompting an upgrade to a second alarm, a designation that requests additional units from neighboring fire agencies.
As it turns out, firefighters were already on the scene before FGF&R could get there from the Ash Street fire station two blocks away.
"Prior to our arrival on scene, two citizens, an off-duty firefighter and retired deputy fire marshal, both from Hillsboro Fire & Rescue were helping residents evacuate from the second floor of the building using a ladder," FGF&R said in a press release.
Crews found heavy fire on the side of the building upon arrival.
Entering the building, fire crews fought the fire from the inside and the outside before withdrawing for safety reasons.
"The fire had already spread to the attic and compromised the strength of the roof," FGF&R said.
Crews spent more than an hour extinguishing the majority of the fire and nearly two additional hours putting out difficult to reach hot spots in the walls and attic.
Photos courtesy Forest Grove Fire & Rescue
Authorities closed Pacific Avenue at Main Street to allow firefighters to run lines from a hydrant.
During the firefight, a Cornelius Fire Department volunteer began showing signs of heat exhaustion.
"He was transported to OHSU Medical Center in Hillsboro out of an abundance of caution and was released a few hours later, feeling well and with no ongoing issues," Cornelius Fire Department Chief David Morris said in an email to News in the Grove Saturday afternoon.
The firefighter was transported by AMR Ambulance.
Forest Grove Fire & Rescue was assisted on scene by Cornelius Fire Department, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Banks Fire District, Gaston Fire District, the Forest Grove Police Department, Forest Grove Light & Power, AMR Ambulance, and the Washington County Medical Examiner.
Home is 130 years old
Documents obtained by News in the Grove Saturday afternoon from the Friends of Historic Forest Grove listed the home as being built in 1895.
It's unclear what will happen to the home. The fire caused significant damage, with portions of the roof caved in, windows shattered, and the interior heavily charred.
Current real estate listings show the lot bundled with several distinct tax parcels with a few homes that have been converted into apartments and the building that housed the venerable Schlegel's Bike Shop on the market for $2,000,000.
Photos: Chas Hundley
Notes from a 1993 survey of historic properties in Forest Grove note the unique placement of the residence near the downtown core of Forest Grove.
"It is unclear who the original owner was and why they chose a lot so close to the commercial area," wrote Peter J. Edwards, who compiled the report.
"There were plenty of lots available in Forest Grove during this time," Edwards wrote.
School property largely unaffected
The burned structure sits a few feet from the Forest Grove Community School parking lot. In a social media statement, school officials said they had largely escaped damage from the fire.
"Other than some damage to the fence separating our parking lot from the house, school property was not impacted," the school said.
Fire officials placed yellow tape emblazoned with "FIRE LINE DO NOT CROSS" on school property to cordon off the scene from bystanders, the school said.
"Please keep the occupants of the home in your thoughts," the school added.
