PF&R Responds To Van Fire With Trapped Occupants (Photo) - 04/06/26

PF&R responds to van fire with trapped occupants

Portland Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a van completely involved in fire with a reported 6 trapped occupants yesterday evening just before 8 PM. BOEC dispatchers received multiple calls from passerby vehicles that a van under I5 on Columbia Blvd near Delta Park indicating a van was completely engulfed in flames. The heavy smoke column rising into the sky made it evident to the arriving crews that there was a very significant fire and if accurate and occupants were trapped, lives were in jeopardy.

Truck 8 arrived and confirmed the fire and indicated they were going to perform extinguishment tasks first and extricate after the flames were suppressed. Engine 14 arrived and assumed command of the incident with the crew of Engine 14 assisting Truck 8 with the extinguishment of the flames. Engine 24 also arrived on scene and assisted in task required to address the emergency including fire suppression and medical triage.

Fortunately, with the assistance of a local community member, all occupants were safely out of the vehicle at the time the hose lines began to cool and extinguish the fire. While none of the occupants received any burn injuries, each was significantly injured because of the collision that occurred and was the cause of the fire. The details of the crash and cause are unknown currently.

A strike team of 5 ambulances was requested with the large number of injured occupants and AMR quickly began to direct ambulance crews to the scene. All occupants were trauma system entries because of the significance of the incident with varying degrees of injuries including broken bones and many cuts, scrapes, and other injuries.

This incident drew the resources of 3 different fire stations totaling 14 members of PF&R as well as the crews of 5 ambulances and an AMR supervisor to provide medical assistance and transport to area hospitals.

PF&R would like to not only thank AMR for their assistance in this incident but the dispatchers at BOEC and the responding members of PPB keeping us safe as we operated along with performing their investigative work.

Stations Involved

Station 8 – Arbor Lodge Neighborhood - Truck 8 – 4 members
Station 14 – Vernon Neighborhood - Engine 14 – 4 members
Station 24 – Overlook Neighborhood - Engine 24 – 4 members
C2 – 1 Chief Officer located at Station 24
C1 – 1 Chief Officer located in the Northwest District at Station 3

###