08:34 AM PDT on Tuesday, July 18, 2006

By KRISTINA BRENNEMAN, kgw.com Staff

HILLSBORO -- The crash of a British fighter plane Sunday near Hillsboro Airport destroyed three homes and damaged a fourth within minutes when it exploded and erupted into a fireball, authorities said.

AP photo

Firefighters work to put out the house fires after the air show plane crash in Hillsboro.

At least one of the homes burnt to the ground was empty. Homeowner Donna Reynolds told police she was at a garden show and not home at the time.

She returned home 20 minutes after the crash and was not allowed by police to go back to her home to see the damage. One of the police officers wanted to know if anyone was in the home, because there was at least one person unaccounted for in this area, she said.

One firefighter suffered from heat exhaustion and no other injuries were reported as of 7:30 p.m.

Trees and bushes were burnt to a crisp from the heat and explosion from the crash. Remnants of the plane could be seen in what appeared to be the home's backyards. The neighborhood is one of Hillsboro's most expensive, with homes ranging from $700,000 to $900,000.

The Hillsboro Fire Department had issued three alarms in response to the crash, said Connie King, a spokeswoman for Hillsboro Fire Department.

"We did evacuate the area and at this point they're still battling those fires," she said, urging people to "stay out of the area."

The pilot of the British Hunter Hawker did not eject from the plane, sources said. The Hawker Hunter is a single-seat fighter plane and believed to be privately owned.