Cherry Grove Fire West Of Hillsboro Burning Fast As Evacuations Ordered

Photo: Washington County Sheriffs Office

Tonight, the people of the historic area known as Cherry Grove, Oregon, just West of Gaston and Highway 47, have been ordered to evacuate. A forest fire is burning uncontained and out of control up in the mountains above the community and is heading west towards them. The alerts were coming all day and got worse as the day went along. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office released this alert earlier tonight.

🚨EVACUATION UPDATES AS OF 5:56 PM🚨
Cherry Grove has moved to LEVEL 3 – GO NOW (leave immediately)
All other areas remain the same as the 5:07 PM update https://t.co/XDWJsREZzQ
— Washington County Sheriff’s Office (Oregon) (@WCSOOregon) August 9, 2024

LEVEL 3 – GO NOW -EVACUATE

The fire is being called the #LeeFallsFire as it appears the fire started near the headwaters of the Tualatin River, where a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall exists. Now closed, the Falls used to be the Tualatin Valley’s favorite swimming hole. As the fire has spread, the wind has picked up and is reportedly blowing to the West, which is the prevailing wind direction. The Herald has sourced these accurate and detailed maps to help everyone understand what is happening and where.

We will keep you all updated, but follow these Twitter / X accounts where Washington County and others will keep updates going. Tonight, insiders and locals agreed that the fire is at 0% Containment and has grown from 100 acres to as big as 500 acres. This is some pretty rough terrain, but there are logging roads all over this county, abundant water at Henery Haag Lake, and Barney Reservoir, and water is now being pulled out by special planes. Hagg Lake is closed for the time being while the fire battle is waged.

Many blessings to everyone at risk – this is one of those things we are not that used to, but times are we better get used to it. Godspeed to all for a safe resolution and minimal loss.

BEST INFORMATION WE HAVE FOUND: Gaston Rural Fire District Facebook Page

Cherry Grove, Ore – At 11 a.m. today a fire was reported on Lee Falls Drive. The fire moved through grass and brush eventually reaching tree stands and moving quickly to the north and northwest. Fire resources from Gaston Rural Fire Protection District, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, Banks Fire & Rescue, Cornelius Fire & Rescue, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue quickly responded to protect nearby homes and fight the fast-growing fire. The Oregon Department of Forestry quickly engaged to provide air support and firefighters tried to get control of the fire.

At 2:15 p.m. the fire was estimated at 100 acres and remained north of the Tualatin River. During the initial attack, two firefighters sustained minor injuries and one community member sustained an injury. Both firefighters were treated on scene and the community member chose to take a personal vehicle for further care.

As crews made progress the winds began to shift and started pushing south and southeast. The fire moved into the tree canopy and started several spot fires south of the fire. The fire spotted across the Tualatin River and continued to grow towards nearby homes and the town of Cherry Grove. Task forces from Yamhill, Clackamas, and Multnomah County were deployed to support fire operations.

At approximately 6:00 p.m., structural firefighters repositioned and moved into providing point protection of homes in the path of the fire. The fire is currently estimated at 200 acres with 0% containment. There are approximately 60 fire engines, tenders and brush units on the fire along with 150 firefighters. Firefighters will be working through the night to protect homes and work to establish holding lines for the fire.

Evacuations were issued by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The latest evacuation levels can be found on the Sheriff’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/WCSOOregon or visit https://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/PublicInformation/index.html?appid=f8a0d8814a67445a9e6bf3485f4fd24f&extent=-120.3538,45.0092,-119.4920,45.3456 to look up your address and check your evacuation status.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/XVzbEMT1TapUKU8i/

The fire burning near Hagg Lake is prompting Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations for the entire community of Cherry Grove in Washington County. Video from our reporter on scene @AlmaJMcCarty
Latest updates here: https://t.co/XsGSblWaek pic.twitter.com/Kvf2SjYWKC
— KGW News (@KGWNews) August 9, 2024

Firefighters continue battling a wildfire near the Cherry Grove community & Hagg Lake. Fire is estimated to be 100+ acres & 0% contained. Please follow @WCSOOregon for evacuation information. #wildfire @WashcoOregon @GastonFire @ForestGroveFire @TVFR pic.twitter.com/NUazYUTRed
— Hillsboro Fire & Rescue (OR) (@HillsboroFire) August 8, 2024

🚨EVACUATION UPDATES AS OF 5:56 PM🚨
Cherry Grove has moved to LEVEL 3 – GO NOW (leave immediately)
All other areas remain the same as the 5:07 PM update https://t.co/XDWJsREZzQ
To help fight a wild fire just outside of Cherry Grove, @WCSOOregon and Scoggins Valley Park are making sure everyone is off of Henry Hagg Lake. This will help firefighting planes to get safe access to the lake. Scoggins Valley Park remains open at this time. #LeeFallsFire pic.twitter.com/Lj7vcI5735
— Washington County (@WashcoOregon) August 8, 2024