Portland Fire & Rescue

Emergency Messages as of 2:52 PM, Wed. Jun 24

No information currently posted.

Subscribe to receive FlashAlert messages from Portland Fire & Rescue.

Manage my existing Subscription

News Release

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 141st 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

 

###

 

Attached Media Files: Crews working late in the fire with much of the fire extinguished., Crews working late in the fire with much of the fire extinguished., Crews working late in the fire with much of the fire extinguished., Crews working following the extinguishment., Crews working following the extinguishment., Crews working following the extinguishment., Crews working following the extinguishment., Rigs on scene,

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 141st 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

 

###

 

Attached Media Files: Crews working late in the fire with much of the fire extinguished., Crews working late in the fire with much of the fire extinguished., Crews working late in the fire with much of the fire extinguished., Crews working following the extinguishment., Crews working following the extinguishment., Crews working following the extinguishment., Crews working following the extinguishment., Rigs on scene,