FOREST GROVE, Ore. — Firefighters battled a significant commercial fire early Monday morning that caused extensive damage to an auto body shop and impacted a neighboring business.
At approximately 5 a.m. on March 30, crews from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue were dispatched to a reported structure fire at 2227 Cedar Street, the site of CS Customs, an auto body repair shop. Firefighters arrived within minutes, at 5:04 a.m., to find flames and heavy smoke coming from the commercial building.
Due to the intensity of the fire, the incident was quickly upgraded to a second alarm, bringing in additional personnel and equipment from multiple agencies. Crews initially attempted an interior attack while also forcing entry through roll-up doors to access the fire.
Roughly 10 minutes after arrival, a portion of the building’s roof collapsed. The structural instability forced firefighters to withdraw and transition to a defensive strategy, continuing to fight the fire from outside the structure.
Firefighters worked for approximately 90 minutes before bringing the blaze under control. As of the latest update, one fire crew remained on scene working to extinguish stubborn hot spots in hard-to-reach areas.
At the time the fire broke out, one employee was inside the building but was able to evacuate safely without injury.
The business sustained heavy fire and smoke damage, including multiple vehicles at various stages of repair. A neighboring woodworking business also suffered smoke and water damage.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Forest Grove Fire & Rescue was assisted by several agencies, including Cornelius Fire Department, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Gaston Fire District, Banks Fire District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, AMR, Forest Grove Police Department, and Forest Grove Light & Power.
Early Morning Fire Heavily Damages Forest Grove Auto Body Shop
FOREST GROVE, Ore. — Firefighters battled a significant commercial fire early Monday morning that caused extensive damage to an auto body shop and impacted a neighboring business.
At approximately 5 a.m. on March 30, crews from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue were dispatched to a reported structure fire at 2227 Cedar Street, the site of CS Customs, an auto body repair shop. Firefighters arrived within minutes, at 5:04 a.m., to find flames and heavy smoke coming from the commercial building.
Due to the intensity of the fire, the incident was quickly upgraded to a second alarm, bringing in additional personnel and equipment from multiple agencies. Crews initially attempted an interior attack while also forcing entry through roll-up doors to access the fire.
Roughly 10 minutes after arrival, a portion of the building’s roof collapsed. The structural instability forced firefighters to withdraw and transition to a defensive strategy, continuing to fight the fire from outside the structure.
Firefighters worked for approximately 90 minutes before bringing the blaze under control. As of the latest update, one fire crew remained on scene working to extinguish stubborn hot spots in hard-to-reach areas.
At the time the fire broke out, one employee was inside the building but was able to evacuate safely without injury.
The business sustained heavy fire and smoke damage, including multiple vehicles at various stages of repair. A neighboring woodworking business also suffered smoke and water damage.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Forest Grove Fire & Rescue was assisted by several agencies, including Cornelius Fire Department, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Gaston Fire District, Banks Fire District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, AMR, Forest Grove Police Department, and Forest Grove Light & Power.
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