Lightning Strike Causes Commercial Warehouse Fire In Kenton Neighborhood (Photo) - 07/23/26

Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) responded to a commercial warehouse fire in Portland's Kenton neighborhood after lightning struck the roof of the building, igniting a small fire.

When firefighters arrived, employees had already safely evacuated the warehouse. Crews quickly initiated an offensive fire attack, with interior engine companies stretching a hoseline into the building while truck companies positioned aerial ladders to the roof and prepared for elevated water operations if needed.

As Engine 26 attempted to establish a water supply from a nearby fire hydrant, firefighters discovered the hydrant was not functioning. The crew immediately declared "emergency traffic" over the radio to notify Command and all personnel that there could be a delay in securing a reliable water supply.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Incident Commander requested a second alarm to ensure additional resources were available. Within minutes, however, Engine 22 successfully established a secondary water supply from another hydrant. Because of the quick actions of the crews, there was no interruption in fire suppression efforts, and the second alarm was promptly canceled.

Interior firefighters advanced a charged hoseline into the warehouse and quickly extinguished a small fire that had burned through the roof decking. Simultaneously, truck companies prepared for rooftop operations by stretching hoselines to the roof. After further investigation, crews determined the remaining fire on the roof was minimal and were able to extinguish it using a portable water extinguisher, commonly referred to by firefighters as a "pump can."

A Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Investigator responded to determine the cause of the fire. After completing the investigation, the fire was determined to have been caused by a lightning strike.

Thanks to the rapid evacuation of employees, the quick coordination between engine and truck companies, and the establishment of an alternate water supply, the fire was confined to the area of origin. There was no extension of fire beyond the roof and ceiling area, and no injuries were reported.

Portland Fire & Rescue reminds the public that lightning can strike well ahead of or after the heaviest rain and can ignite fires in homes, businesses, and vegetation. If you suspect your building has been struck by lightning, evacuate if necessary, call 9-1-1, and allow firefighters to investigate any signs of smoke or fire.

Portland Fire & Rescue would like to thank our business partners at BOEC, and PPB for traffic control.

Portland Fire & Rescue Deploys Specialty Rescue Team To Support Akawa Butte Fire (Photo) - 07/22/26

Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) has deployed a specialized rescue team to assist the Oregon Department of Forestry with the Akawa Butte Fire burning near Sisters, Oregon. The duration of their assignment is anywhere from 7-14 days.

The Rapid Extrication Module Support (REMS) team provides a critical safety resource for firefighters working on the fireline. REMS teams are specifically trained and equipped to locate, treat, package, and safely transport injured or ill wildland firefighters from remote and challenging terrain to definitive medical care. Their specialized capabilities provide incident managers with a rapid response option when firefighters become injured or incapacitated.

PF&R's four-person REMS team is trained in high-angle rope rescue, vehicle extrication, and advanced prehospital emergency medical care. The team carries specialized rope rescue, technical rescue, extraction, and advanced life support medical equipment, allowing them to reach and extricate injured firefighters in some of the most difficult and inaccessible environments.

Before departing, Crew Boss Lieutenant Eric Dryer shared his thoughts on the assignment.

"I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. This is a great opportunity for us to support our partners and help protect the firefighters working on the front lines."

The team departed this morning with two four-wheel-drive pickup trucks, one utility side-by-side vehicle, and a support trailer. They will remain assigned to the incident for the duration of their deployment, providing specialized rescue capabilities in support of wildfire suppression operations.

Early Morning House Fire In SE Portland Brentwood-Darlington Leaves Two Residents Critically Injured (Photo) - 07/15/26

Portland Fire & Rescue responded to an early morning residential structure fire in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood of Southeast Portland that resulted in two residents sustaining critical injuries and the displacement of five occupants.

At 6:56 a.m., Portland Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to reports of a house fire involving a one-story single-family residence with a basement. The first arriving engine company encountered heavy fire and thick black smoke coming from the home and immediately initiated an aggressive fire attack while additional crews searched the structure for occupants.

With the help of our mutual aid resources from Clackamas Fire, Firefighters worked quickly to bring the fire under control, achieving full extinguishment by 7:10 a.m. Rapid suppression efforts helped prevent further fire extension and allowed crews to focus on search, rescue, and overhaul operations.

Two residents were found with critical injuries and were transported by ambulance to a local hospital for emergency medical treatment. Tragically, one cat was found deceased inside the home.

The fire displaced four adults and one child of unknown age. The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents with temporary housing and other immediate needs.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Investigators. No additional information regarding the injured residents or the cause of the fire is available at this time.

Portland Fire & Rescue reminds residents that working smoke alarms provide critical early warning in a fire emergency. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and inside each bedroom, and test them monthly to ensure they are functioning properly.

Portland Fire & Rescue would like to thank our business partners at BOEC, Clackamas Fire, PPB, and PGE.

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Portland Fire Fireworks Season Responses – 2026 - 07/09/26

Portland Fire Fireworks Season Responses – 2026

The fireworks season is a 2-week period the runs from June 23 through July 6. Portland Fire & Rescue captures the data from the season evaluates the numbers of incidents throughout the season as well as on July 4, the day of the most celebratory actions taken in the area. PF&R responded to a similar number of fireworks caused fires throughout the fireworks season in 2026 when compared to the past few years but saw a bit of an increase in fires caused by fireworks on July 4^th itself.

Table 1. Fireworks data per year with the total number of fires/injuries during the fireworks season and July 4^th along with those caused by fireworks captured in parentheses. The fireworks “season” information shaded in table below. (2022 was the year a fireworks ban was put in place by the Portland City Council.)

Portland Fire responded to 2 different fires on the roofs of high-rise buildings with fireworks actively igniting the green roof or vegetation cover on the roof. Both were extinguished quickly and did not extend into the structure. Along with the high-rise fireworks related fires, there were numerous miscellaneous fires associated with fireworks usage along with a few vehicles as well.

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Online Fireworks Reporting Tool Press Conference Scheduled - 06/29/26

PFR Respond To Two Overnight Housefires In SE PDX (Photo) - 06/24/26

PFR respond to two overnight housefires in SE PDX

At just after 2 AM, PF&R crews were dispatched to a reported fire in a duplex located in the SE Portland Hazelwood Neighborhood. This duplex fire was called into the dispatch center by multiple individuals each indicating seeing both flames and smoke present at the location with one of the callers the occupant of the non-affected half of the duplex.

This fire response places 4 engines, 2 trucks, a heavy rescue squad, and 2 chiefs enroute to this emergency which is 30 of the 171 on-duty members assigned to this incident with many of the firefighters on the east side of town focused on this incident. Station 7 from the Mill Park Neighborhood arrives first with their fire engine and fire truck. Each crew begins to perform the essential tasks upon arrival appropriate for their apparatus. The fire engine    crew begins to establish the critical water supply to a fire hydrant and stretch hose to the structure while the members assigned to the truck begin to investigate the structure by performing a 360 walkaround, gaining entry in the residence, and reporting to command the conditions. Small fire located in a room on the back side of the home by Truck 7 crew that directs the Engine crew to the location to extinguish. Lots of smoke present but low levels of heat is reported along with the critical information of heavy clutter throughout the home. Engine 7 did extinguish the fire but with many light fuels strewn about the interior, crews were forced to remove many objects near the fire to ensure the fire did not extend out into the structure.

As crews were addressing the fire within the duplex in Hazelwood, another residential fire located 2 miles away in the Mill Park Neighborhood was called into the dispatch center at 2:24 AM. With all the firefighters in the area already on scene and assigned to the first fire called into the dispatch center the responders assigned to the second fire were coming from a much further distance than normal including many from our mutual aid partners to the east Gresham Fire.  An increased travel time to an incident can have significant effect on the outcome when seconds often matter in these significant emergencies.  With the first fire under control, the command officer released all unassigned companies to the next fire and left this first incident to be addressed by the crew of Engine 7 and all were headed toward the reported second fire of the hour.

Radio reports to responding crews were heavy fire from the windows and roof were present with many callers from the neighborhood. Additional information was "sounds of screaming" from the interior was reported along with information that there is a disabled adult relative who often stays at this location. These three pieces of information set the tone for the actions that will be taken upon arrival to the scene with all members preparing to address a significant fire with multiple possible rescues. On top of this, the orange glow and header (smoke column) made it obvious there was singnificant work to be done upon arrival.

Squad 12 was the first arriving rig to the second fire located near the intersection of SE 141^st and Main and confirmed the location to be completely involved with fire and directed the back seat team to perform a 360 and perform rescue if possible. Neighbors who were outside as Squad 12 arrived reported the crew went directly to work protecting their home and all other nearby structures while also making entry into the home to locate anyone on the interior. The remainder of the crews who departed the first fire arrived shortly after Squad 12, including the battalion chief who took command, and all went to work on minimizing this fire and searching the affected home. This large group of PF&R crews released from the first fire allowed the command officer to return all the distant companies not yet on scene including those from Gresham so they were available to address any other emergencies that are certain to occur as response reliability is critical for all first responder agencies.

Crews focused on preventing the fire from jumping to the neighbors while also reducing the body of fire in the home to return to making access to the interior in hopes of locating an occupant or pet. Once the command officer saw it was safe to enter, crews made entry with significant fire still present to search the structure. Primary and secondary searches by interior crews located multiple dogs that did not survive the incident along with a dog that was viable and transported to Dove Lewis Animal Hospital following on scene oxygen therapy. There was no evidence of any current human occupancy of the structure found at the time of the fire on either the primary or secondary search. With obvious potential for occupancy, crews proactively interviewed all neighbors regarding the possibility of someone being on the inside. Neighbors confirmed that often when the car is not present which was the case overnight that the owner is not home nor the handicapped relative.

Crews worked to extinguish the body of fire throughout the single-story ranch style home for the next 30 minutes. Quick work by the first arriving crews that were able to break away from the first fire led to saving the homes on either side of this residence and neither family will be forced to relocate. The residents of the home that experienced the fire will be assisted by the Red Cross in their home displacement.

The cause of each of these fires is under investigation. There were no reported injuries to humans in either incident (resident or responder). Three dogs did not survive the Mill Park Fire with another transported to Dove Lewis Hospital by the crew of Rescue 31. It should be noted the owner of the home in the second fire was contacted by Dove Lewis to report they had the dog, and it was this phone call that alerted him to the fire in his home.

Portland Fire would like to thank the dispatchers at BOEC who helped us in each of these incidents. In addition, PF&R would like to thank our mutual aid responders from Gresham Fire, who were initially dispatched on the second fire and quickly responded in our direction to assist in this incident.

PF&R members dispatched to both fires – 46

Gresham Fire members dispatched to second fire - 8

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