Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue held its first-ever fire camp for young women in late June and sent about two dozen personnel to fight wildland fires across Oregon this summer, according to the district's Tuesday, Aug. 25 board meeting packet.
The three-day Tualatin Valley Fire Camp, held June 26–28 at the TVF&R Training Center in Sherwood, drew 23 participants ages 16 to 22. The free program was organized by TVF&R's female firefighters and paramedics and led entirely by professional women firefighters from multiple agencies, including partners from the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
Participants practiced rappelling, vehicle extrication, hose handling, search and rescue, forcible entry and emergency medical skills. The camp also covered nutrition, physical fitness and interview techniques.
It was the first year TVFR independently hosted the camp at its own training center; previous years involved a regional Metro Fire Camp. The event drew coverage from KGW, KOIN and the Oregonian.
Wildland deployments
As Oregon's fire season intensified, TVFR deployed roughly 23 personnel and 10 to 15 apparatus to multiple wildland incidents, Fire Chief Deric Weiss reported at the board's July 28 meeting. Deployments included the Akawa Butte fire near Sisters, which surpassed 26,000 acres by July 23, the Grasshopper fire near Tygh Valley in the Mount Hood National Forest, and the Hagen Complex in Umatilla County. Some crews served roughly 14-day rotations.
Weiss told the board that the local Tualatin Valley remained relatively stable during the season, allowing the district to share resources statewide.
The Grasshopper fire grew to nearly 34,700 acres by Aug. 4, at 19% containment.
Fourth of July surge
Fireworks kept crews busy closer to home. Over the July 4–5 weekend, TVFR responded to 36 fires, nearly three times the typical 48-hour summer average. Six were structure fires. The largest, in Sherwood, caused an estimated $300,000 in damage. More than a dozen fires were confirmed caused by fireworks, and one Beaverton incident captured on video led to police identifying suspects.
Three veterans retire
Three longtime members retired effective June 30: Lt. Nathan Kust (27 years of service), Apparatus Operator Clifford Knoll (27 years) and Firefighter James Hackler (25 years).
Budget and staffing
CFO Valerie Colgrove reported the General Fund ended fiscal year 2025–26 with a $76.4 million fund balance, slightly exceeding projections. Workers' compensation premiums rose 17%, adding about $600,000 to personnel costs. The district anticipates continued double-digit increases in those rates.
Staffing stood at 604 full-time equivalents against a budgeted 651 as of June 30, with a large academy class starting.
As we reported Friday, Aug. 21, the Tuesday, Aug. 25 board meeting also includes action items on drone infrastructure, a design-build contract for Station 21 and a first reading of a policy formally designating the fire chief as CEO of the board. The meeting begins at the TVF&R Command and Business Operations Center in Tigard and will be livestreamed on YouTube.
