It was a long night for firefighters, fire investigators and dispatchers who dealt with increased call volume generated by a storm Wednesday night. From false alarms triggered by power problems to firefighting to medical calls, firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue responded to 27 calls between midnight and 6a.m.

The most significant incident was a fire in Washington County located at 2505 SW Crestdale Drive which took place at 2:21a.m. Firefighters from TVF&R and Portland Fire and Rescue arrived within five minutes of being dispatched to reports of a structure fire with flames shooting 20 feet in the air. They quickly extinguished the blaze that was burning in a greenhouse located very close to a single-family home.

The greenhouse was destroyed and the adjacent garage received minor damage. Firefighters' rapid intervention, however, kept the fire from spreading into the home which received only minor smoke and water damage. There were no injuries as a result of the fire and damage estimates are not available at this time.

A fire investigator continues to process the scene to determine what may have caused the fire. Neighbors and residents reported hearing loud thunder and seeing lightning just before the fire was discovered, but it is unknown whether lightning started the fire. Using GPS coordinates and lightning forensics, fire investigators may be able to cross reference known lighting strikes with the site of the fire. Additional physical evidence is being gathered to systematically eliminate potential fire sources.