HILLSBORO, Oregon — Seventeen people were forced to vacate a Hillsboro apartment complex that caught fire Saturday morning.
The fire started inside an apartment unit near East Main Street and Southeast 12th Avenue around 10:45 a.m., Hillsboro Fire & Rescue (HF&R) said. Flames and black smoke could be seen billowing from the unit.
Neighbors knocked on doors and told residents to evacuate and everyone got out unharmed.
Crews said they put out the fire within six minutes of arriving on scene. Three units were damaged.
A fire investigator determined a baseboard heater ignited combustible materials in a bedroom.
Main Street was temporarily shut down between Southeast 10th and 12th avenues, and TriMet MAX service was briefly interrupted because the tracks ran close to the apartment.
The seventeen residents who were displaced are getting help from the American Red Cross.
HF&R is reminding the public to keep all combustible materials at least three feet away from heaters inside the home.
"Test your home’s smoke alarms at least once per month and practice your home fire escape plan with your family members," the agency said in a release.
Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway said in a statement:
"Our community has been impacted by two fires this weekend: one that displaced 17 people within three apartments on Saturday, and another on Sunday that has visibly impacted our beloved Main Street. Our hearts go out to the families and all of the Main Street businesses affected by the fires. We and the community are here to support them in their recovery.
In both fires, our firefighters did remarkable work. They stopped the apartment fire from spreading to other units. Their efforts to keep the Main Street fire from spreading was flat-out amazing. And it was a team effort with not only Hillsboro Fire & Rescue firefighters, but also our partners from neighboring agencies: Banks, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Gaston, Portland Fire, and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.
We are also grateful for our partnerships with NW Natural, PGE, the Red Cross, TriMet, and others whose help allowed us to respond to both of these emergencies and support those affected."