Hillsboro Fire & Rescue joined six other agencies to battle a two-alarm fire that burned through part of a 17,000-square-foot hemp-growing building near Cornelius on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Cornelius firefighters were dispatched around 6:46 a.m. to 2170 SW Lafollett Road, just outside Cornelius city limits in rural Washington County, the city of Cornelius said in a release first reported by the Hillsboro News Times. The blaze drew 59 firefighters from across the county.

Crews spotted a column of smoke on the way to the scene and upgraded the call to a first alarm before arriving to find flames coming through the roof. The size of the building prompted the first chief on scene to call a second alarm, bringing additional crews and equipment.

The building sits outside city limits, where no municipal fire hydrants are available. Seven 3,000-gallon water tenders shuttled water from the nearest hydrant inside Cornelius, making round trips of more than a mile to keep crews supplied.

"We're outside the city limits, so there are no fire hydrants here," Forest Grove Fire & Rescue spokesman Matt Johnston told KATU. "We have to bring the water to us with water tenders."

Firefighters initially attacked the flames from inside but pulled out when the roof became unstable. They shifted to an exterior attack using hose lines and a ladder truck. A section of the roof then collapsed into the building, making it difficult to reach hot spots.

Conditions eventually improved enough for crews to re-enter. They brought the blaze under control nearly two hours after the initial call, according to the city of Cornelius.

One person was reportedly working in the building when the fire broke out and was safely evacuated, according to KATU. One firefighter was evaluated at the scene for a minor extremity injury but did not need hospital transport. No other injuries were reported.

The building, originally constructed as a berry-processing facility, was being used to grow hemp at the time of the fire, according to the Cornelius Fire Department. It is divided into four sections. Firefighters contained flames to one section; the other three sustained smoke and water damage.

The full response included seven engines, two ladder trucks, seven water tenders and six chiefs. Agencies assisting Cornelius included Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, Gaston Fire District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Banks Fire District, American Medical Response and the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Anyone with information can contact the Cornelius Fire Department.