Gaston Rural Fire District

There are few things in life more rewarding than helping your neighbors in times of need, and one of the best ways to do that is to become a volunteer firefighter.

If you act fast, you could be responding to calls with Gaston Fire by summer. The training starts March 6 and is free.

Gaston Fire is participating with several other local departments for the Western Washington County Training Association Spring Firefighting Academy. The training takes place mostly on weekends and will be held at stations in Gaston, Banks, Forest Grove and Cornelius.

A Gaston Fire lieutenant spent more than a half hour in a Laurelwood-area creek to calm a stuck horse until enough help could arrive to pull her to safety.

Lt. Clay Davis, who grew up on a cattle ranch in Eastern Oregon, didn't hesitate to jump into the creek when the 911 call came in at 1:13 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2010.

James Proffitt and Luke Rogers are Gaston's newest firefighters after graduating from Firefighting Academy on Sunday, Nov. 9.

There are a number of slash burns in the Mount Richmond area right now. From a distance these fires can appear to be a house fire.

Wednesday morning we got a call of a house in the area. Six fire trucks from three local agencies responded, only to find the call came from someone driving by who mistook a slash burn for a house fire.

A three-car accident sent cars onto the sidewalk and against the wall of the Gaston Market.

The accident occurred 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23.