Columbia River Fire & Rescue responded early Monday morning to a commercial fire at the Lee Broadbent Training Center, which also houses Volunteer Fire Station 479, on the 58000 block of McNulty Way in St. Helens.

According to a statement from the department, firefighters arrived shortly after 6:15 a.m. to find thick black smoke pouring from the station’s bay area, reducing visibility to less than a foot. Inside, an ambulance was on fire in the first bay. Crews brought the blaze under control within about 20 minutes and fully extinguished it in roughly an hour.

While several fire service vehicles sustained heat and smoke damage, officials said those units are expected to be repairable and eventually returned to service. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Lee Broadbent Training Center serves as both an operations base and a training site for Columbia River Fire & Rescue staff and volunteers. Named after former fire chief Lee Broadbent, the facility is used for live-burn simulations, technical rescue drills, and emergency response training across Columbia County.

Details of the incident were first released by Classic Hits 100.7 KLOG. Columbia River Fire & Rescue has not yet announced a timeline for determining the cause.

Why this matters locally
The facility is a critical resource not only for ongoing firefighter training but also for volunteer response within the St. Helens area. Even a short-term disruption could impact readiness and scheduling for training operations, particularly for volunteers who rely on the center’s equipment and infrastructure. Investigators’ findings may influence future safety protocols for emergency vehicle storage and facility operations.