Portland Fire & Rescue
08/26/2024 | Press release | Archived content
PF&R responds to 2nd alarm fatal fire overnight. (Photo)
August 26, 2024 08:10
PF&R responds to 2nd alarm fatal fire overnight.
Portland Fire & Rescue was dispatched to a single-family residence with potential fire showing with multiple callers into the dispatch center overnight in the Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood. There was heavy fire showing in the front of the initial address spreading to the neighboring home leading to a second alarm assignment requested to double the number of responders on scene. Water was being applied from the outside of the structure first and then on the interior to cool the flames that were throughout the reportedly cluttered living space. The bulk of fire in both structures was extinguished within 20 minutes of arrival. Fire crews located a victim on the interior during the fire suppression and search activities and initiated medical interventions on scene, but the individual unfortunately did not survive. This fire is currently under investigation.
PF&R along with our mutual aid partners were dispatched to a residential fire at 3:24 AM in the Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood with multiple callers alerting the dispatch center to the residential fire that was spreading to neighboring homes. Crews arrived to find heavy fire in a single-family residence with fire having extended to the property line fence and to the closest neighboring home. This fire extension directed command to request a second alarm assignment in the event there were 2 homes on fire located next to one another. Crews from the first alarm were able to make entry into the home and begin extinguishment from the interior initially, but the body of fire was too large and hot to remain inside. The crews pulled back, hit the main body of fire from the exterior until they were able to return to an offensive and interior fire attack tactic.
Crews were sent to the roof to cut holes that would allow for the hot gasses and smoke to escape. This improved the ability of the interior crews to operate and move the hoses around on the interior to address the fire present. Radio reports of a heavy cluttered interior, quickly referred to as "hoarder conditions". This interior condition slows down the ability of crews to advance the hose and search throughout the structure.
Interior crews located a fire victim on the during the fire suppression activities, began life saving measures immediately but unfortunately the individual was declared dead at the scene. The male victim was estimated to be in his 40s.
Portland Fire encountered a few other challenges aside from the heavily cluttered home. There were powerlines reported down reported early in the fire that were laying across the fence line between the two homes posing an additional hazard for the firefighters on scene and the power company was requested to respond to eliminate the flow of electricity through these severed lines. In addition to the clutter and the downed live powerlines, the closest fire hydrant was out of service, so crews had to move to a different hydrant that was 300' away. An additional fire engine was directed to this fire hydrant to pump water forward to overcome the distance and frictional loss in the hoses to ensure there is a sufficient amount of water available to the fire fighters at the end of the handheld hose lines used in the suppression.
The cause of this fire is under investigation. Investigators are on scene sifting through the structure to determine the location of the fire start along with cause of the fire.
Portland Fire would like to thank Pacific Power for responding and addressing the active power lines. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the on-scene assistance by Clackamas County Fire with units responding and working in both the first and second alarms. Lastly, we would like to thank our public safety partners at BOEC and PPB were helpful in this incident.
###PFR###
*************