2-alarm fire damages Forest Grove auto shop

A 2-alarm fire heavily damaged an auto body shop on Cedar Street in Forest Grove early Monday morning, collapsing part of the roof and damaging several vehicles inside. Forest Grove firefighters were dispatched to CS Customs at 2227 Cedar St. at 5 a.m. and arrived four minutes later to find heavy flames and smoke coming from the commercial building, according to Forest Grove Fire & Rescue. The blaze was upgraded to a second alarm to bring in additional crews. Ten minutes after arriving, a portion of the roof collapsed. Firefighters pulled back and fought the fire from outside the building due to the structural instability. One employee was inside the shop at the time and evacuated without injury. It took crews about an hour and a half to bring the fire under control. As of Monday afternoon, a fire crew remained on scene working to extinguish hard-to-reach hot spots. The shop sustained heavy smoke and fire damage, along with several vehicles that were in various stages of repair. An adjoining woodworking business also sustained smoke and water damage. Photos courtesy Forest Grove Fire & Rescue The cause of the fire is under investigation. Forest Grove Fire & Rescue was assisted by Cornelius Fire Department, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Gaston Fire District, Banks Fire District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, AMR, Forest Grove Police Department and Forest Grove Light & Power. In all, 43 firefighters responded with seven engines, two trucks, a rescue unit and four chiefs.