Portland Fire & Rescue's fireboat was dispatched Sunday evening after reports that three boats were burning on the Columbia River in Columbia County. The agency said its vessel was still en route when it shared the call publicly, and only limited information was immediately available. The post did not include any details on injuries, how far the fires had spread, or what might have started them.
Portland Fireboat 17 Dispatched On Mutual Aid Call
According to Portland Fire & Rescue, Fireboat 17 was sent out in response to a mutual-aid request from the Vancouver Fire Department after a report of three boats on fire in Columbia County. The agency noted that FB 17 was still heading to the scene and did not identify a specific shoreline or marina, leaving the exact location unconfirmed at the time of the post.
How Fireboat 17 Backs Up River Incidents
Fireboat 17 is assigned to Station 17 on Hayden Island and is a 55-foot, jet-driven craft built for firefighting and rescue on the water. The City of Portland describes the boat as capable of pumping about 8,000 gallons per minute and designed to reach incidents quickly across the lower Columbia, capabilities that are especially important when multiple vessels are involved, according to the City of Portland.
Mutual Aid Framework On The Columbia
Large or complex fires on the Columbia River are handled under established contingency and mutual-aid arrangements that combine municipal fireboats, county river patrol units, and port resources into a single incident command. That framework is outlined in the Columbia River Area Contingency Plan, according to the Columbia River Area Contingency Plan. Local agencies such as Columbia River Fire & Rescue routinely support incidents that occur within Columbia County, according to Columbia River Fire & Rescue.
Why Mutual Aid Calls Happen Often
Vancouver operates a quick-response fireboat, Discovery, although that vessel is not staffed around the clock. Mutual-aid calls are common when local crews are already tied up or a particular specialized boat is unavailable, according to Wikipedia. Portland's initial post did not report any injuries or say whether the fires were contained, and officials had not released further details at the time of that update, according to Portland Fire & Rescue.
This is a developing story. We will update as city and county agencies release additional official information and incident reports.
