Blaze destroys building in Argay Terrace business park

How this devastating outer East Portland fire started hasn’t yet been revealed, but it certainly did cause major damage – in an early morning fire at a commercial center …

Before dawn on Saturday morning, firefighters are called to a business park in Argay Terrace to fight a large and growing commercial fire. Image by PF&R volunteer photographer Dennis Weis

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

A call to the 9-1-1 Center about a fire in an Argay Terrace business park – before sunrise on Saturday, January 24th – dispatched numerous Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) crews to the area at 5:32 a.m.

The first caller reported seeing smoke from a building to the west – likely near NE 127th Avenue and Marx Street – but couldn’t give an exact address.

As they approached, the first-arriving firefighters reported back to dispatchers seeing a “header” or a large column of smoke coming from the roof of a building; and, upon arrival, they said that heavy smoke coming from several bay doors of the building as well as the roof.

After using their power saws to peel open locked garage doors like using a can opener, crews spray water into the burning building. Image by PF&R volunteer photographer Dennis Weis

Firefighters hooked up their engines to a water supply, forced entry by cutting open metal roll-up doors, and began a search for potential victims – as well as attacking the fire.

Within minutes, a PF&R Battalion Chief called for a “second alarm”, bringing more apparatus and crew to the scene.

As crews continue to fight this fire, thick clouds of smoke pour out of the blazing building. Image by PF&R volunteer photographer Dennis Weis

A bystander told firefighters that the building contained compressed gas cylinders, which can become dangerous when exposed to fire, raising the complexity of this incident.

“Master streams” – high volume water pumped through large hoses – shoot down onto the roof of the burning structure. Image by PF&R volunteer photographer Dennis Weis

From below, firefighters continue spraying water into open garage bays to cool the fire. Image by PF&R volunteer photographer Greg Muhr

Because all of the businesses in this concrete tilt-up style warehouse were closed, and because no employees were on-site, crews took a “defensive fire attack” on the blaze.

From the top of ladder trucks, water streams poured rivers of water onto the fire from above, as sections of the roof burned through. At the same time, other crews shot water onto the fire through openings along the sides of the building, including several of the bay doors that had been cut open.

Although the fire is “under control” by dawn, crews keep drenching the building with water to fully extinguish the conflagration. Image by PF&R volunteer photographer Greg Muhr

As firefighters sprayed water into the inferno from the sides of the building and from above, water pressure lagged. Crews cut a hole in a fence and use a fire hydrant that was fed by a different water main to provide the necessary water.

After about an hour, the fire was declared “under control”, although crews remained throughout the day extinguishing hot spots. Investigators responded to determine the cause, which has not yet been announced.

Front page image by PF&R volunteer photographer Greg Muhr

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