Firefighters were called to the 10000 block of Tualatin-Sherwood Road in Tualatin shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday for reports of a fire at a manufacturing company. Early reports indicated an electrical panel had caught fire and that all occupants had immediately evacuated the building. When fire crews arrived, they saw fire coming from the walls and through the roof. Fire commanders quickly upgraded the fire to a second alarm to bring in additional engines, trucks, and incident support staff to support firefighting operations.
As crews began to pour water on the flames from the inside, firefighters noted that a small portion of the roof had become unstable and was collapsing. Interior crews were ordered to reposition themselves outside, and the center portion of part of the roof collapsed. All firefighters were safe and accounted for and proceeded to fight the fire from the outside instead of the inside out of concern for further collapse.
Multiple ladder trucks were used to douse the flames from above, but the roof materials and composition of the building made it difficult to reach some areas of the fire. Fire crews also had to contend with cold and icy conditions that made it difficult to position themselves on the roof to ventilate the space. Crews also had to continuously move water through hose lines to prevent water from freezing and to be conscious of ice buildup from discharged water. By 8:30 a.m., the fire was brought under control and crews began to overhaul and check for hotspots.
Fire investigators determined the cause of the fire to be accidental and the result of electrical equipment. This is a large facility, and some parts of the building were unscathed. However, the warehouse portion of the building suffered extensive damage.
