At 4:07 a.m. today, residents at a home in the 600 block of NE Evergreen Road in Hillsboro reported hearing smoke alarms and called 911. A resident checked the smoke alarms and found flames in the home's living room. Residents then evacuated outside.

A Hillsboro Fire & Rescue incident commander arrived and found smoke emanating from the front of the house. The call was upgraded to a first alarm to bring additional resources to the scene. Arriving moments behind the incident commander, firefighters from Engine 5 initiated entry into the home with hose lines to search for and extinguish the fire. Simultaneously, firefighters from Truck 5 began searching for the occupants or pets in the house. Firefighters knocked down the fire burning through the home's front windows and spreading inside, where it was first reported. Additional crews accessed the roof to cut a ventilation hole to help clear heated gas and smoke, improving conditions for firefighters working inside. After the initial fire knockdown, firefighters continued their efforts through the home to search for and extinguish hot spots.

Firefighters searching the home confirmed that all residents and pets had been safely evacuated and that no one else was inside. No injuries were reported. In total, three adults and three dogs were safely accounted for. A public safety chaplain responded to the incident to provide comfort and assistance to the residents. He learned that one of the residents was scheduled for a medical procedure this morning and alerted the incident commander and fire crews. The resident was only able to escape wearing sleepwear and needed clothing and medications pertinent to their health. Firefighters re-entered the home to help the resident retrieve clothing that was safe to wear. They also located and retrieved the necessary medications. Further, a Hillsboro police officer assisted at the incident. Initially, the officer provided incident safety by slowing and diverting traffic as needed around emergency responders and apparatus staged along NE Evergreen Road. He then assisted the residents by temporarily sheltering their dogs in his patrol vehicle until they could be safely transferred to a family member’s vehicle and care. Three adult residents and three dogs were displaced because of the fire. Family members arrived at the scene to provide additional support and care. 

Hillsboro Fire and Rescue fire investigators responded to the incident, and a fire investigation is ongoing. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.  

Hillsboro Police, AMR Ambulance, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Portland General Electric, NW Natural Gas, and Hillsboro Public Safety Chaplains assisted at the incident.

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