A fifth-wheel RV being used as a home went up in flames Sunday morning on a rural property near Gales Creek, torching two nearby cars and sending a live power line crashing to the ground before firefighters could get the blaze under control. One resident was checked for smoke inhalation at the scene but did not need to go to the hospital, and crews managed to keep the fire from spreading to a nearby house under construction and the surrounding forest.
The fire broke out around 10 a.m. Sunday in the 56700 block of Northwest Wilson River Highway, near the small community of Gales Creek, according to oregonlive.com. Forest Grove Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched at 10:04 a.m. and arrived to find the RV fully engulfed, with two nearby passenger vehicles also on fire, per kpic.com.
By the time crews finished their work, the RV and two cars had been heavily damaged, while two additional vehicles suffered moderate to minor damage, the outlet's report notes. As firefighters battled the flames, a live power line serving the house under construction burned through and fell to the ground, creating an added hazard for the crews on scene, the same account states.
Crews Race to Protect a Home Still Being Built
Despite the chaos of a downed live wire and multiple burning vehicles, firefighters managed to keep the fire from reaching the house under construction or spreading into the surrounding forest, according to the report. Crews had the flames under control in about 15 minutes, though they stayed on scene for more than an hour afterward, stamping out hot spots to make sure the fire didn't reignite.
The RV itself was too unstable for firefighters to safely enter, and crews worked outside the vehicle. The resident who had been living in the trailer was evaluated for smoke inhalation at the scene but did not require hospitalization.
Highway 6 Traffic Slowed During Response
The fire's location just off Wilson River Highway — Oregon Highway 6 — meant the response also affected drivers passing through the area. One lane of the highway was closed for about an hour while crews worked the scene, according to the same kpic.com report.
Forest Grove Fire & Rescue crews responded in the Gales Creek community. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no additional details about the resident, the property owner, or the extent of the financial loss have been released.
