An outside fire quickly spread and damaged two homes in Tigard on Sept. 16.
Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue crews were dispatched to a hedge on fire that was spreading to a home around 10 a.m.
Engine 50 arrived at 13168 SW Morningstar Drive four minutes after being dispatched to find that the homeowners had evacuated and flames were consuming the outdoor deck and spreading into the home's attic. An aggressive interior and exterior fire attack was used.
Witnesseses said the flames were extending more than 30 feet in the air, with the radiant heat blowing out the window of a nearby home and beginning to burn wood shingles on the roof.
With the large body of fire present, the commanding officer called for additional resources. Many of the nearby homes have highly-flammable wood shake roofs and the area is considered a wildland urban interface where homes are nestled between spans of timber and heavy vegetation posing a higher risk of wildfire.
Firefighters applied fire-retardant foam to the roof and landscaping of nearby homes to prevent embers from kindling another blaze. Neighbors were also encouraged to wet down bark dust in their yards.
Within 40 minutes, firefighters had extinguished the main fire and limited damage to only a small portion of the neighboring home's roof.
The bulk of the fire, water and smoke damage occurred to the decking, siding and attic of the home where the fire broke out.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the area of origin has been confirmed as the row of thick, arbor vitae hedges in the backyard. One of the homeowners sustained minor lacerations and burns to his hands, which firefighter paramedics treated on scene.
