RV Fire Damages Two Vehicles Near Gales Creek

GALES CREEK, Ore. — Forest Grove Firefighters responded to a residential fire Sunday morning, September 27, in the 56700 block of NW Wilson River Highway near Gales Creek, where a recreational vehicle being used as a home was fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters were dispatched at about 10:04 a.m. to a reported residential fire. While crews were responding, dispatchers advised that the fire involved a fifth-wheel RV rather than a permanent structure. Because of the potential for the fire to spread, the full response continued.

When firefighters arrived, they found the RV fully engulfed, with two nearby passenger vehicles also on fire. Crews began an exterior fire attack while dealing with an additional hazard after a live power line serving a nearby house under construction burned and fell to the ground.

Firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading to the house under construction and the surrounding forest. The fire was brought under control in approximately 15 minutes.

Crews remained on scene for more than an hour extinguishing hot spots from outside the RV. The structure was considered too unstable for firefighters to safely enter.

The fire caused the temporary closure of one lane of Oregon Highway 6, also known as Wilson River Highway, for about an hour while fire apparatus occupied the roadway. Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies provided traffic control during the closure.

The RV was being used as the resident’s primary home while construction work was underway on the nearby house. The RV and two vehicles sustained heavy damage, while two additional vehicles received moderate and minor damage.

The resident was evaluated at the scene for smoke inhalation but did not require transportation to a hospital.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Forest Grove Fire & Rescue was assisted by Banks Fire District, Cornelius Fire Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, AMR, Portland General Electric and the Oregon Department of Transportation.