Update: Gresham Firefighter Spencer Tejedas -07/30/24

In advance of Friday's blood drive in honor of injured Gresham Firefighter Spencer Tejedas, his family has provided an update on his condition. The family is not available for media interviews and will not be responding to reporter inquiries; we ask that you please respect their privacy at this time. 

The blood drive is this Friday, Aug. 2 at Gresham City Hall, 9 am to 3 pm. Details on the City's website here.

From Firefighter Tejedas' wife:

"It’s impossible to put into words how much the outpouring of support and kindness from the community has meant to our family during this unimaginable time. We want to thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for caring about us-- some of you we are close to, but many of you are complete strangers, and there is so much beauty in that. We feel completely wrapped up in love, which has given us the strength to move forward.

Spencer is now off of ECMO (life support) and will hopefully undergo his seventh and final surgery next week. While there have been challenges and setbacks, we are very encouraged by the significant progress he has made in recent weeks. He is more awake, aware, and very motivated to get better. He has an incredible, dedicated team of surgeons, doctors and nurses at Legacy Emanuel that have worked tirelessly to heal him. Even at his worst, Spencer greets his care team every day with smiles, gratitude, and patience, which simply speaks to the kind of person he is. His doctors frequently comment that Spencer’s drive and motivation will make all the difference in his recovery. Knowing how strong he is both mentally and physically, we have no doubt that he will beat all the odds and surpass any goals set for him. 

Today--after 8.5 weeks of hospitalization--he was finally able to FaceTime our boys (1 and 4) for the first time. We are holding on to these small wins and beautiful moments for now.

If you are able, please consider donating blood in his honor at the Aug. 2 blood drive at Gresham City Hall. Blood donations have saved his life, and we want to do anything we can to give back.

To schedule an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter the sponsor code: GreshamFD.

With love and gratitude, 

Melea Tejedas"

 

Original press release, May 31:

At approximately 9 pm on Thursday, May 30, Gresham Fire Department and Portland Fire and Rescue responded to the reports of a duplex on fire at the 1300 block of Southeast 182nd Street. Due to the quick work of the responding crews, the fire was contained to a single duplex unit and no civilians were injured.  

This was a complex response, as the nature of the fire evolved rapidly. During the incident, three Gresham firefighters sustained injuries and were transported to the Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. Two of the firefighters have been treated and released. However, firefighter Spencer Tejedas remains hospitalized at this time.  

Firefighter Tejedas suffered severe burns on more than 45% of his body. He is sedated and intubated at the Oregon Burn Center and is considered to be in critical condition.  

“Incidents of this nature are a harrowing reminder that despite our best efforts with robust training and protective gear, just how dangerous the job of a firefighter is,” said Gresham Fire Chief Scott Lewis. “Our hearts go out to the entire Tejedas family.”

The Gresham Fire Department would like to ask that the privacy of the Tejedas family be respected during this challenging time. All media inquiries can be sent to GreshamFirePIO@GreshamOregon.gov as the Gresham Fire Department will be speaking on the family’s behalf at this time.  

After further investigation, it has been determined that the fire was accidental and caused by an unattended candle.