Fire crews were dispatched shortly after 1:00 am to a fire in the area of Highway 26 and the Vista Bridge tunnel.  Initial callers were drivers on Highway 26 and were unable to give the 911 dispatcher an accurate address.  First alarm fire apparatus, including two Battalion Chiefs and one Deputy Chief, converged in the general area unable to locate the fire.  A third caller called 911 and was able to give an accurate address on SW Montgomery Place. 

Fire crews were delayed due to the narrow streets, steep terrain, and fire apparatus having to redirect to the correct address. Upon arrival, the large residential home was fully involved and crews defensively (from the outside) attacked the fire with large volume hose lines and a mounted water turret device, capable of flowing a minimum of 350 gallons of water per minute.  Water supply was an additional challenge due to the limited availability and access to fire hydrants.   

Given all the challenges, fire crews were successful in containing the large fire to only the involved residential structure due to effective firefighting tactics and a well communicated strategy.  Red Cross is assisting one displaced resident. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Portland Fire & Rescue would like to thank the residents of SW Portland for parking personal vehicles legally along the extremely narrow streets.  Often the streets in SW Portland can be challenging due to the width and length of the fire engines and trucks.

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