Witnesses believe blaze started on back deck

An investigation continues into the cause of a Wednesday morning fire that caused extensive damage to an Aloha home.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue crews from Beaverton Station 67 were dispatched just before 8 a.m. to a house on fire at 16679 S.W. Rosa Road.

Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the back of the house.

They quickly learned no one was inside the residence at the time of the blaze, said Timothy Nokes, a fire district spokesman. "Firefighters initiated a defensive attack on the exterior of the home, and then transitioned into an offensive interior fire attack," he said.

The occupants, who rent the home, told fire investigators they believe the fire started on the exterior of the home and reported seeing fire on the back deck of the house before safely escaping, Nokes added.

Firefighters had the fire knocked down within 15 minutes.

"Smoke and flames likely spread quickly throughout the house due to the influx of air when the back patio door was blown out by the fire," he said. "The exact cause is still under investigation."

The American Red Cross is assisting the tenants with temporary housing. "They did not have renters' insurance," Nokes said.