February 9, 2022 update:

As part of the ongoing investigation of the Weil Arcade fire on Main Street in Downtown Hillsboro being conducted by the Hillsboro Police Department, the Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) investigators discovered the remains of a deceased male inside the location of the fire earlier this week.

The man's death was determined to be caused by smoke inhalation. Hillsboro Police detectives are working to identify the victim, who is not believed to be associated with the Weil Arcade businesses or location. Hillsboro Fire and Rescue concluded its investigation and determined the fire was intentionally set.

The discovery of the victim was delayed due to safety concerns with the building. We do not believe there are anymore victims in the debris. Information from the discovery of the deceased person will be forwarded to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for review and charging decisions.

This investigation was a collaborative effort by multiple departments and agencies. We appreciate the support of our partners, business community, and community members.

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January 6, 2022 update: Hillsboro Police Department detectives arrest suspect in four-alarm fire

Fire Investigation Status

As part of the ongoing investigation, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue Department investigators are continuing to review material evidence and speak with business owners and community members. As partner resources, the Hillsboro Police Department is also assisting our fire investigators.

If any businesses or community members have cell phone or other videos of the fire, they might be helpful in determining the cause of the fire. Please contact our Public Information Officer at FirePIO@Hillsboro-Oregon.gov or call our main fire station at 503-681-6166.

Fire Scene Status

Fire crews continue to monitor and extinguish hot spots in the building. They are operating on East Main Street between 2^nd and 3^rd avenues, and on the back of the structure along NE Lincoln Street between 2^nd and 3^rd avenues. Fencing has been placed around the fire area where crews are working, for the safety of community members. We ask all community members to please stay behind the fence. As an active fire area, there may smoke, ash, or other debris present.

Roadway Access

East Main Street is reopened to traffic and pedestrians from 5th Avenue heading west to 3rd Avenue. Third Avenue has reopened to traffic and pedestrians between NE Lincoln Street and SE Baseline Street. Please watch for pedestrians and follow detour signs and traffic control signs.

Business Impacts

From what we understand, there are eight businesses displaced because their business space was directly impacted by the fire. There are 11 businesses in the area impacted by the fire that should be able to return to their business spaces with some repairs or cleaning. There are an additional 18 businesses that may have sustained some impact, such as temporary loss of power or temporary access restrictions because of the fire, and are in various stages of restoring their business operations. There may be other businesses impacted that we are not aware of.

Portland General Electric (PGE) crews are working very diligently to minimize the duration and impact of the temporary power outages. They are working to safely restore power and mitigate risks associated with any potentially damaged power lines. Please contact PGE with questions. 

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From the City of Hillsboro Fire & Rescue Department on Sunday, January 2, 2022:

At 2:46 am on Sunday, an observant Hillsboro Police Department patrol officer radioed to dispatch reporting visible flames and glass breaking in the Weil Arcade building, located at 231 East Main Street in historic Downtown Hillsboro.

One minute later, community members began calling 911 to report significant amounts of smoke coming out from the front of the building. The fire was upgraded to a first alarm, bringing in additional fire engines and trucks.

Engine 1 arrived within five minutes to find pressurized, heavy black smoke rolling out from the front windows and door. The incident was quickly upgraded to a second alarm, bringing more resources from neighboring fire and rescue departments.

Firefighters attacked the fire from a defensive position outside of the building due to the heavy fire conditions. There were no reports of any persons inside or around the building. No injuries were reported. Firefighters used large diameter hoses and aerial ladder trucks on all sides of the building to put water onto the fire from the ground and from above. The fire burned very hot and extended rapidly throughout the building. Firefighters accessed the roof to cut ventilation holes to allow heated gas and smoke to release out of the building to help provide better visibility into firefighting efforts.

At 3:11 am, the incident was upgraded to a third alarm. The fire continued to swiftly consume the contents of the building and, eventually, the fire caused more windows to break and fissures to open in the roof, allowing the fire to burn through the roof. As the structural integrity of the building deteriorated further and concerns about the risk of stability over the basement level, the fire was upgraded once again – this time to a fourth alarm. For the next eight and a half hours, firefighters sprayed copious amounts of water onto the fire to try and extinguish the flames and prevent them from spreading into the adjacent buildings.

By 4:24 am, the front of the building partially collapsed, followed shortly afterward by the roof collapsing into the building. Due to the freezing temperatures, water runoff from the fire froze along the sidewalks and streets as it flowed to the stormwater drains.

At approximately 1 pm, the majority of the fire was knocked down. Crews continued to search for and extinguish hot spots.

Crews will remain on scene and rotate throughout the night and into Monday morning to extinguish hot spots and rekindled fires. A total of 40 fire and EMS units responded to the fire, bringing more than 130 first responders. For the safety of the firefighters, crews rotated and received rest and rehabilitation on the scene, including food and water. A City of Hillsboro Fire & Rescue Department chaplain responded to the scene to provide support to responding personnel. Nearby businesses, including Hillsboro Bar and Grill, Bennett Urban Farm Store, and others donated coffee, food, and drink items to support responders.

Determining a Cause
A Hillsboro Fire & Rescue Investigator is working to determine the cause of the fire. If any member of the public has cell phone videos or photos of the fire to share that might help investigators, please contact the Hillsboro Fire & Rescue Public Information Officer at: FirePIO@Hillsboro-Oregon.gov or call the main Hillsboro Fire & Rescue station at 503-681-6166.

Community Safety Reminder
Hillsboro Fire & Rescue reminds all community members that the area where the fire occurred is still an active fire scene. We ask everyone to avoid the area for safety, unless necessary, and we ask that everyone who needs to be in the area stay behind the fencing and tape that has been placed around the building. East Main Street between 2nd and 4th avenues remains closed. Third Avenue from Lincoln Street to East Main Street remains closed.

For community awareness, important messages from the City of Hillsboro Water Department:

• Customers in Downtown Hillsboro may experience water discoloration/low water pressure due to the large volume of water flowing to fight the four-alarm commercial fire at E Main Street and NE 2nd Avenue.
• With the fire extinguished, please run cold water taps for 10 minutes to clear.
• If discolored water persists, call the Hillsboro Water Department's after-hours pager at 503-615-6775 and leave a contact number, or email WaterQuality@Hillsboro-Oregon.gov.

Thank You to Partners
Hillsboro Fire & Rescue thanks its partners from around the region who responded and assisted on the fire, including:

• Banks Fire District #13
• Cornelius Fire Department
• Forest Grove Fire & Rescue
• Gaston Fire Department
• Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue
• Portland Fire & Rescue
• Metro West Ambulance
• City of Hillsboro Police Department
• City of Hillsboro Water Department
• City of Hillsboro Public Works Department
• Washington County Land Use & Transportation
• NW Natural Gas
• Portland General Electric
• American Red Cross
• TriMet
• Bretthauer Oil

Statement from Mayor Steve Callaway
“Our community has been impacted by two fires this weekend: one that displaced 17 people within three apartments on Saturday, and another on Sunday that has visibly impacted our beloved Main Street. Our hearts go out to the families and all of the Main Street businesses affected by the fires. We and the community are here to support them in their recovery.”

In both fires, our firefighters did remarkable work. They stopped the apartment fire from spreading to other units. Their efforts to keep the Main Street fire from spreading was flat-out amazing. And it was a team effort with not only Hillsboro Fire & Rescue firefighters, but also our partners from neighboring agencies: Banks, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Gaston, Portland Fire, and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.

We are also grateful for our partnerships with NW Natural, PGE, the Red Cross, TriMet, and others whose help allowed us to respond to both of these emergencies and support those affected.”

For updates and video, visit the Hillsboro Fire & Rescue Department Twitter feed.