Tigard duplex fire proves to be difficult to extinguish | Home & Garden

TIGARD, Ore. -- An early-morning fire proved to be especially difficult to be put out at a retirement community in Tigard on Sunday morning.

At Summerfield, most residents reside in duplexes -- hopes that are adjoined. But maybe that's what helped from Sunday's fire from spreading even further than it did. That's because neighbors first noticing some unusual sounds. One woman said she thought her daughter's cat was "bouncing off the wall." Another neighbor said her Yorkshire Terrier wouldn't let her rest.

Then, they saw what was causing all of the commotion -- flames of a fire shooting straight up into the air.

Within seven minutes, firefighters got to the duplex on Southwest 94th in Tigard. It was too late, however, to save Jo-Anne Greenwood, 70.

"Firefighters are trained to treat everybody as family, so it was kind of like losing their mom today," said Walt Peck of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.

Doris Smits lives in the other half of the duplex. She said Greenwood smoked continuously. For that reason, she had an excape route planned out, fearing a fire would happen.

"I wanted to say something to the association because we had a hazard with the woman," Smits said. "She drank and she smoked and that's a bad combination."

Investigators won't say what caused the fire, which actually started outside in the courtyard. Officials do however say the fire is not suspicious and not a case of arson.

Separating the two units is a fire wall, but that will slow down the flames -- not stop them.

Now, fire crews are sifting through what's left from the fire. They found smoke alarms, but can't say for sure if they were working.