06/27/2026
2 RESCUED FROM 2ND STORY
On June 25, 2026 at approximately 1:30 pm, our crews were dispatched to a residential fire off of Oak street. Callers reported that two victims were thought to be inside the structure. E1, R1, E5, T5, and E2 all arrived within 60 seconds of each other, 6 minutes after dispatch. E1 was assigned fire attack with E5, and E2 went into rescue mode with T5 to locate potential victims.
As E1 began entry on the first floor to begin extinguishment of the heavy fire throughout the building, E2 performed a window entered search by laddering the garage, and climbing through a second story window. They encountered high heat, low visibility, and heavy accumulation of belongings that impeded easy movement through the structure. Down the hallway from their point of entry, in a rear-facing bedroom, E2 located two unconscious victims. They isolated the room by closing the door, and broke out the window to improve the conditions within the space. T5, along with E5 (who had been extinguishing fire below the room with victims), placed two 24-foot extension ladders and began assisting E2 with victim removal while encountering significant plant overgrowth of the structure and an unstable rear deck.
The first victim was rescued via ladder within 10 minutes from the initiation of the search. T5 and E5 then converted the window to a door with chainsaws to facilitate removal of the second victim. The second victim was removed in under 16 minutes from the initiation of the search. E6 and AMR immediately performed advanced life saving measures on both victims who were transported to local hospitals in critical condition.
The way our people show up on days like this, is what makes us proud to call ourselves Hillsboro Firefighters.
We are incredibly proud of the heroic actions taken by every member on scene. E2’s crew who exhibited calm resolve in finding and removing the victims with E5 and T5, working through multiple air bottles with no breaks until the job was done. Two Probationary firefighters with 10 months on the job, who were instrumental in both fire extinguishment, and victim rescue. E6’s company who split their crew to provide care to two patients simultaneously. Recently promoted Engineers, Officers and Chief Officers who embraced the chaos with unwavering determination and leadership.
