A candle left burning in a homemade Halloween decoration likely started a house fire in Aloha, according to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.
Firefighters were dispatched just after 11:30 p.m. to the 2000 block of Southwest 192nd Avenue and found flames on the front porch of a home. The fire had begun spreading into the residence.
Crews from TVF&R and Hillsboro Fire & Rescue brought the blaze under control quickly. Damage was limited to the front porch and a small portion of the home's interior, TVF&R said.
A preliminary investigation determined the fire most likely started when the unattended candle ignited nearby materials.
Two residents escaped the home before firefighters arrived. Family pets, including two cats and several lizards and snakes, were safely evacuated. Pet birds inside the home did not survive.
TVF&R thanked Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Portland General Electric and NW Natural for their assistance at the scene.
The department urged residents to keep candles at least three feet from decorations and other combustible materials, to never leave them unattended and to consider battery-operated candles as a safer alternative during the Halloween and holiday season.
