9:40 p.m. update: FGF&R said the fire was largely extinguished by 9:30 p.m.
Forest Grove Fire & Rescue said a barn fire on Hillside Road had been upgraded to a two-alarm fire Thursday night.
“Crews are actively working to extinguish the fire from the exterior,” the fire agency said.
Hillside Road was closed to allow for firefighting equipment.
In a message to the Gales Creek Journal, FGF&R Public Information Officer Matt Johnston said the barn was 100 by 40 feet, and used to dry filberts.
“Crews have had to cut open the walls to gain access to the fire,” FGF&R said in a social media update.
Inside the 4,000 square foot barn, a photo shared by the fire agency showed a hulking machine used to dry filbert nuts, called hazelnuts by some.
Johnston described the barn as well involved.
“We are getting a better handle on it with more water tenders arriving,” Johnston said.
Several propane tanks near the barn were cooled down and were no longer a threat, Johnston said.
The fire appeared to be on NW Hillside Road near NW Ganna Way, closer to the end of Hillside Road that intersects with Kansas City Road.
The Hillside community was hit with a four-acre wildfire Tuesday afternoon at the other end of the community.
This is a developing story; updates will be made as information is confirmed.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
