Read why Portland Police detectives believed the bandit who held up The Cash Store on SE Powell at 32nd Ave. had been a very, very bad boy – and how they caught him …
Far from his Hillsboro home, police say Adam G. Trainor’s crime career ended 70 blocks east of The Cash Store at SE Powell Blvd and 32nd Ave. he robbed at gunpoint.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The slender-built man in is middle twenties got out of a green, Honda coupe, pulled the hood of a dark sweatshirt over his head, and strode into The Cash Store at 3234 SE Powell Blvd.
He’d come in for some fast cash on June 17, under the bright, early-afternoon sunlit sky ‚Äì but he wasn’t about to sign for a loan.
He flashed a gun; the clerk gave him money. As the robber hit the door, the clerk called 9-1-1, knowing this criminal transaction had been caught on video.
The report of the broad-daylight robber crackled across the police radio. The Honda was first spotted near SE 60th Powell. It sounded as if the alleged robber slid around a police roadblock. More squad cars joined in the pursuit.
“He stacked it up at 115 and Division,” was the excited call of an officer. We rounded the corner and spotted a half-dozen patrol cars with lights flashing. One of the patrol cars had come to rest on the side lawn of a home, blocking any escape for the green Honda stoped parallel to a back yard fence.
A real-life CSI officer from Portland Police gathers forensic evidence at The Cash Store at SE Powell Blvd. after the robbery police, who accuse him of being a “serial bandet”, say Adam G. Trainor, robbed them on June 17.
Serial robber nabbed
Portland Police spokesman Det. Paul Dolbey confirmed that sequence of events, and also that Adam Gerard Trainor, 25, was arrested for allegedly sticking up The Cash Store using a gun.
“He didn’t give up without a fight,” Dolbey told us. “Trainor decided to fight with our officers. They used a Taser on him to take him into custody.”
Noting Trainor’s method of operation, Portland Police detectives saw similarities to recent gunpoint robberies in Washington County. A young man matching Trainor’s description allegedly previously held up a Subway shop and Hair Masters salon in Sherwood ‚Äì and Beaverton’s Honeycut & Company hair salon ‚Äì within the past weeks.
Sherwood Police Detective Dwight Onchi told us he traveled that evening to Portland’s Justice Center for an interview. “Trainor confessed to the Sherwood robberies. And, he admitted he needed money because he was a heroin addict.”
District Attorneys from both Multnomah and Washington Counties are expected to present the reports and statements to a grand jury for possible indictment.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
Read why Portland Police detectives believed the bandit who held up The Cash Store on SE Powell at 32nd Ave. had been a very, very bad boy – and how they caught him …
Far from his Hillsboro home, police say Adam G. Trainor’s crime career ended 70 blocks east of The Cash Store at SE Powell Blvd and 32nd Ave. he robbed at gunpoint.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The slender-built man in is middle twenties got out of a green, Honda coupe, pulled the hood of a dark sweatshirt over his head, and strode into The Cash Store at 3234 SE Powell Blvd.
He’d come in for some fast cash on June 17, under the bright, early-afternoon sunlit sky ‚Äì but he wasn’t about to sign for a loan.
He flashed a gun; the clerk gave him money. As the robber hit the door, the clerk called 9-1-1, knowing this criminal transaction had been caught on video.
The report of the broad-daylight robber crackled across the police radio. The Honda was first spotted near SE 60th Powell. It sounded as if the alleged robber slid around a police roadblock. More squad cars joined in the pursuit.
“He stacked it up at 115 and Division,” was the excited call of an officer. We rounded the corner and spotted a half-dozen patrol cars with lights flashing. One of the patrol cars had come to rest on the side lawn of a home, blocking any escape for the green Honda stoped parallel to a back yard fence.
A real-life CSI officer from Portland Police gathers forensic evidence at The Cash Store at SE Powell Blvd. after the robbery police, who accuse him of being a “serial bandet”, say Adam G. Trainor, robbed them on June 17.
Serial robber nabbed
Portland Police spokesman Det. Paul Dolbey confirmed that sequence of events, and also that Adam Gerard Trainor, 25, was arrested for allegedly sticking up The Cash Store using a gun.
“He didn’t give up without a fight,” Dolbey told us. “Trainor decided to fight with our officers. They used a Taser on him to take him into custody.”
Noting Trainor’s method of operation, Portland Police detectives saw similarities to recent gunpoint robberies in Washington County. A young man matching Trainor’s description allegedly previously held up a Subway shop and Hair Masters salon in Sherwood ‚Äì and Beaverton’s Honeycut & Company hair salon ‚Äì within the past weeks.
Sherwood Police Detective Dwight Onchi told us he traveled that evening to Portland’s Justice Center for an interview. “Trainor confessed to the Sherwood robberies. And, he admitted he needed money because he was a heroin addict.”
District Attorneys from both Multnomah and Washington Counties are expected to present the reports and statements to a grand jury for possible indictment.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
Not only did the truck driver melt down his own 18-wheeler, police say his carelessness also smashed four other vehicles. One would expect this kind of freeway carnage to leave dead bodies strewn across the concrete, but instead …
The stench of burning rubber, heated metal and roasted cargo hung in the afternoon air long after the 5:00 p.m. crash of the 18-wheeler.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Commuters using I-84 found their typically-slow, 5:00 p.m. drive home slam to a standstill on June 22. And, Parkrose neighbors and business people were surprised to look up and see a giant plume of thick, black smoke belching from the area where the Banfield Freeway crosses over NE 122nd Avenue.
Thought an airplane crashed
Marcy and John Bradford were walking their German Sheppard south, along NE 122nd Ave. “We were under the bridge (I-84 overpass) and heard an explosion,” Marcy told us. John added, “We thought a small plane trying to land at PDX airport had crashed-landed onto the freeway or hit a home and exploded. When we came up on the other side, though, we saw thick black smoke and flames from a big-rig truck.”
The explosions also caught the attention of people at Rossi Farm, two blocks away, at NE Shaver St.
Eyewitness to the inferno
An eyewitness to the narrow escape of the flaming truck’s driver was Jeff Schumacher, a driver with Jet Delivery Air Freight. His truck had broken down on the I-84 exit ramp at 122nd Ave.
While off to the side of the exit ramp, looking into the engine of his stalled truck, “I heard a big explosion, and looked up to see an 18-wheeler hit a light pole along [the west side] of the freeway. It slid along guardrail and caught fire. Just before the overpass, the driver got it stopped, jumped out, and ran about 30 feet before the cab exploded into flames.”
After burning for about ten minutes ‚Äì the rig’s cab engulfed in flame ‚Äì Schumacher said the second fuel tank must have been “boiling” under the tractor. “When it blew, I ducked and took cover. It shook the ground.”
Portland and Gresham fire crews respond
“When crews arrived on scene, they reported a tractor-trailer fully engulfed in flames,” reported Portland Fire & Rescue’s Lt. Allen Oswalt. “The first crew to arrive had to attack the fire from the eastbound lanes. To be safe, both sides of the freeway were completely shut down.”
Empting each fire engine’s 1,000 gallon tank in turn, firefighters doused the inferno. Just before the sixth fire engine’s tank ran dry, crews were able to connect a 2-inch hose to a hydrant more than two blocks away.
The fire was initially attacked with water carried on the fire engines, but that supply is limited, and a hose was stretched 700 ft. to the closest hydrant to provide water for a prolonged fire attack. “The fire in the truck was brought under control at 5:35 p.m.,” Oswalt told us. In all, 35 firefighters were called to battle the fire, in six engines from both Portland and Gresham.
Surprisingly, no life-threatening injuries
Four people were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.
One firefighter was treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, and was transported to the hospital for further evaluation.
The fire burned so intensely that after the second fuel tank boiled and exploded, the only recognizable features of the tractor were its exhaust pipe and frame.
Cause of the carnage
Police say the driver of the now-charred big rig, 57-year-old Richard Shoemate, was to blame in the spectacular crash–for driving too fast, following too closely, and not being prepared for heavy, slow traffic as he headed westbound on I-84.
“Portland Police Traffic Investigators determined Shoemate was at fault,” Portland Police Bureau’s Det. Paul Dolbey confirmed for us, “when the semi-truck he was driving collided with a vehicle ahead of him. In total, five vehicles were damaged in the collision.”
Shoemate was cited both for “Following Too Closely” and “Careless Driving”, for his role in the collision.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
Not only did the truck driver melt down his own 18-wheeler, police say his carelessness also smashed four other vehicles. One would expect this kind of freeway carnage to leave dead bodies strewn across the concrete, but instead …
The stench of burning rubber, heated metal and roasted cargo hung in the afternoon air long after the 5:00 p.m. crash of the 18-wheeler.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Commuters using I-84 found their typically-slow, 5:00 p.m. drive home slam to a standstill on June 22. And, Parkrose neighbors and business people were surprised to look up and see a giant plume of thick, black smoke belching from the area where the Banfield Freeway crosses over NE 122nd Avenue.
Thought an airplane crashed
Marcy and John Bradford were walking their German Sheppard south, along NE 122nd Ave. “We were under the bridge (I-84 overpass) and heard an explosion,” Marcy told us. John added, “We thought a small plane trying to land at PDX airport had crashed-landed onto the freeway or hit a home and exploded. When we came up on the other side, though, we saw thick black smoke and flames from a big-rig truck.”
The explosions also caught the attention of people at Rossi Farm, two blocks away, at NE Shaver St.
Eyewitness to the inferno
An eyewitness to the narrow escape of the flaming truck’s driver was Jeff Schumacher, a driver with Jet Delivery Air Freight. His truck had broken down on the I-84 exit ramp at 122nd Ave.
While off to the side of the exit ramp, looking into the engine of his stalled truck, “I heard a big explosion, and looked up to see an 18-wheeler hit a light pole along [the west side] of the freeway. It slid along guardrail and caught fire. Just before the overpass, the driver got it stopped, jumped out, and ran about 30 feet before the cab exploded into flames.”
After burning for about ten minutes ‚Äì the rig’s cab engulfed in flame ‚Äì Schumacher said the second fuel tank must have been “boiling” under the tractor. “When it blew, I ducked and took cover. It shook the ground.”
Portland and Gresham fire crews respond
“When crews arrived on scene, they reported a tractor-trailer fully engulfed in flames,” reported Portland Fire & Rescue’s Lt. Allen Oswalt. “The first crew to arrive had to attack the fire from the eastbound lanes. To be safe, both sides of the freeway were completely shut down.”
Empting each fire engine’s 1,000 gallon tank in turn, firefighters doused the inferno. Just before the sixth fire engine’s tank ran dry, crews were able to connect a 2-inch hose to a hydrant more than two blocks away.
The fire was initially attacked with water carried on the fire engines, but that supply is limited, and a hose was stretched 700 ft. to the closest hydrant to provide water for a prolonged fire attack. “The fire in the truck was brought under control at 5:35 p.m.,” Oswalt told us. In all, 35 firefighters were called to battle the fire, in six engines from both Portland and Gresham.
Surprisingly, no life-threatening injuries
Four people were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.
One firefighter was treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, and was transported to the hospital for further evaluation.
The fire burned so intensely that after the second fuel tank boiled and exploded, the only recognizable features of the tractor were its exhaust pipe and frame.
Cause of the carnage
Police say the driver of the now-charred big rig, 57-year-old Richard Shoemate, was to blame in the spectacular crash–for driving too fast, following too closely, and not being prepared for heavy, slow traffic as he headed westbound on I-84.
“Portland Police Traffic Investigators determined Shoemate was at fault,” Portland Police Bureau’s Det. Paul Dolbey confirmed for us, “when the semi-truck he was driving collided with a vehicle ahead of him. In total, five vehicles were damaged in the collision.”
Shoemate was cited both for “Following Too Closely” and “Careless Driving”, for his role in the collision.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
Not only did the truck driver melt down his own 18-wheeler, police say his carelessness also smashed four other vehicles. One would expect this kind of freeway carnage to leave dead bodies strewn across the concrete, but instead …
The stench of burning rubber, heated metal and roasted cargo hung in the afternoon air long after the 5:00 p.m. crash of the 18-wheeler.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Commuters using I-84 found their typically-slow, 5:00 p.m. drive home slam to a standstill on June 22. And, Parkrose neighbors and business people were surprised to look up and see a giant plume of thick, black smoke belching from the area where the Banfield Freeway crosses over NE 122nd Avenue.
Thought an airplane crashed
Marcy and John Bradford were walking their German Sheppard south, along NE 122nd Ave. “We were under the bridge (I-84 overpass) and heard an explosion,” Marcy told us. John added, “We thought a small plane trying to land at PDX airport had crashed-landed onto the freeway or hit a home and exploded. When we came up on the other side, though, we saw thick black smoke and flames from a big-rig truck.”
The explosions also caught the attention of people at Rossi Farm, two blocks away, at NE Shaver St.
Eyewitness to the inferno
An eyewitness to the narrow escape of the flaming truck’s driver was Jeff Schumacher, a driver with Jet Delivery Air Freight. His truck had broken down on the I-84 exit ramp at 122nd Ave.
While off to the side of the exit ramp, looking into the engine of his stalled truck, “I heard a big explosion, and looked up to see an 18-wheeler hit a light pole along [the west side] of the freeway. It slid along guardrail and caught fire. Just before the overpass, the driver got it stopped, jumped out, and ran about 30 feet before the cab exploded into flames.”
After burning for about ten minutes ‚Äì the rig’s cab engulfed in flame ‚Äì Schumacher said the second fuel tank must have been “boiling” under the tractor. “When it blew, I ducked and took cover. It shook the ground.”
Portland and Gresham fire crews respond
“When crews arrived on scene, they reported a tractor-trailer fully engulfed in flames,” reported Portland Fire & Rescue’s Lt. Allen Oswalt. “The first crew to arrive had to attack the fire from the eastbound lanes. To be safe, both sides of the freeway were completely shut down.”
Empting each fire engine’s 1,000 gallon tank in turn, firefighters doused the inferno. Just before the sixth fire engine’s tank ran dry, crews were able to connect a 2-inch hose to a hydrant more than two blocks away.
The fire was initially attacked with water carried on the fire engines, but that supply is limited, and a hose was stretched 700 ft. to the closest hydrant to provide water for a prolonged fire attack. “The fire in the truck was brought under control at 5:35 p.m.,” Oswalt told us. In all, 35 firefighters were called to battle the fire, in six engines from both Portland and Gresham.
Surprisingly, no life-threatening injuries
Four people were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.
One firefighter was treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, and was transported to the hospital for further evaluation.
The fire burned so intensely that after the second fuel tank boiled and exploded, the only recognizable features of the tractor were its exhaust pipe and frame.
Cause of the carnage
Police say the driver of the now-charred big rig, 57-year-old Richard Shoemate, was to blame in the spectacular crash–for driving too fast, following too closely, and not being prepared for heavy, slow traffic as he headed westbound on I-84.
“Portland Police Traffic Investigators determined Shoemate was at fault,” Portland Police Bureau’s Det. Paul Dolbey confirmed for us, “when the semi-truck he was driving collided with a vehicle ahead of him. In total, five vehicles were damaged in the collision.”
Shoemate was cited both for “Following Too Closely” and “Careless Driving”, for his role in the collision.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
See amazing photos … and read what happens when men and women of Portland Fire & Rescue – from all over East Portland – pulled on their gear and headed out to fight one of the largest industrial fires in years …
The Taylor Electric fire was so intense; embers flew up stories high into the air. In fact, a pallet rack shelf was projected high into the night sky by an explosion of burning material, carried up on convection current.
A firefighter climbs atop an adjoining building to make sure embers didn’t set it ablaze.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
It was a typical, busy day for the firefighters at Westmoreland’s Station 20 on May 17. But their shift eventually included fighting one of the largest fires in recent history.
“Our 24-hour shift begins at 8 am,” Portland Fire & Rescue’s Dave Gallucci told East PDX News. “Right off the bat, we were busy. Nothing major, we went on a number of runs ‚Äì mostly medical calls ‚Äì throughout the day.”
Station 20, located on S.E. Bybee Boulevard, just west of the Bybee Bridge, is a four-person station house. By early evening, Gallucci and Jeff Von Allmen had set about making dinner for the crew. “We all ate, and the day started to slow down,” Von Allmen said.
Westmorland Portland Fire & Rescue Station 20 firefighters Dave Gallucci and Jeff Von Allmen were two of the 125 firefighters who fought the four-alarm, Taylor Electric Company fire that could be seen for miles around.Business picks up for Station 20
“We generally turn in around 10 pm,” Gallucci told us. “I do a little reading, and off with the light. That’s when the Tap Out [fire call] sounded. We’re familiar with that area, so we didn’t wait ‚Äì we pulled on our turnouts [fire jackets, pants and boots], and headed for the fire.”
“It was our co-firefighter, Dan Kendoll’s, last shift. He was facing forward in the engine cab, and he said he could see the flames lighting up the sky by the time we got to Holgate,” Von Allmen told us. “We jokingly blamed the late call-out on Kendoll, as we drove to the command post.”
They could see a train was blocking the Milwaukie Avenue crossing north of Powell, so they cut over to McLoughlin Boulevard, north on S.E. Grand, then to Clay Street.
“The fire was really ripping,” Gallucci continued. “I was the driver for the shift, so I started up the pump as the other crew members hooked up hoses at S.E. Second and Madison.” The blaze was just west of MLK Boulevard, just north of the Hawthorne Bridge, and only a couple of blocks east of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and a branch campus of Portland Community College.
Engine supplies water
Because a high ladder truck carries no water, and doesn’t have its own pumps, it’s fire engines like Engine 20, that boosts the hydrant water pressure enough send it up the hose to the top of the five-story-high ladder, so it can be sprayed down on the fire.
Von Allmen confirmed that no firefighters were being allowed in the building, “But our engine also ran a hand-held line we used to shoot water into the windows at ground level. We put out a little of the fire.”
About an hour after the fire was discovered, the roof on the city-block-sized building collapsed, spewing a shower of sparks and cinders, and blowing large boards high into the night sky. Firefighters were dispatched to the roofs of nearby buildings to make sure they didn’t catch fire.
Karla Peterson was one of the hundreds of people came to watch this, one of the largest fires ever in the Southeast industrial area, burn on into the night. Although Peterson was blocks away from the fire, she winced and withdrew a step as the inferno exploded into the night sky. “I’ve never seen anything this. It’s awesome; I mean, awful. All the water can’t seem to put it out.”
Keeps truck cool
“The fire in the building was so intense, it wasn’t long until we could see our engine was really heating up,” Von Allmen picked up the story. “When we hit it with water, steam poured off it. Unfortunately we’d left a couple of our windows down ‚Äì it got cleaned out pretty good. We kept drenching our engine until the fire was out.”
Through the wee hours of May 18th, the Sellwood-Moreland firefighters stayed at their post, supplying 1,500 gallons of water per minute, for four hours – pushing 360,000 gallons of water, from their rig alone, to douse the conflagration.
“As close as we were to the fire, we didn’t get much smoke,” Gallucci recalled. “It was blowing away from us, so we didn’t have to wear our breathing apparatus. Some of the firefighters went through several bottles of air. Their rigs, in the smoke, got so dirty, they later had to be hand-washed, even after pressure spraying.”
“The fire burned so hot,” Von Allmen added, “it burned out pretty quickly. Sometimes a large fire like this can burn for days.” Working together, a total of 125 Portland Fire & Rescue crewmembers managed to protect all of the surrounding buildings.
Home, but not for long
By 4 am, the Station 20 crew was released, and was back in their firehouse. “It only took about an hour to square away our rig,” Von Allmen told us. “We just got settled down, and then a medical call came in. That was about 6 am.”
The following day, firefighters were still on scene, putting out the hot spots that remained.“It was a long day,” concluded Gallucci, “but in many ways, it was just another day in the life of a firefighter.”
After the fire
To prevent electrocution, Portland General Electric crews disconnected power from the industrial area’s grid shortly after the fire broke out. Good thing; at least three power transformers exploded in the fire’s intense heat, releasing their cooling oil. Millions of gallons of water running off from the firefighting carried it into Willamette River.
According to Taylor Electric’s operations manager, the burnt building was filled with about $4 million worth of inventory, including wire, circuit breakers, transformers, and other equipment.
Eating pizza provided by a nearby business owner is firefighter John Robinson with Station 4.
Business owner provides lunch
As firefighters continued to douse the smoldering rubble the following morning, a table laden with pizzas appeared outside Rose’s Restaurant Equipment, directly across the street from the burned out building.
“We watched it on TV,” said owner Karen Rose, “and our son was here, keeping an eye on the store. We were concerned about the front of our building. The firefighters did a really good job.”
Rose said a firefighter asked if we knew where they order a sandwich, because they couldn’t leave their post. “We immediately called Dave Clark, owner of Pietro’s Pizza in Milwaukie. He asked, ‘How many?’ The firefighters said they couldn’t accept any kind of gifts; so we just set it all out, and walked away. I’m happy to see it looks like most of it is gone!”
Fire cause under investigation
“The exact cause of the huge blaze is still under investigation,” Lt. Allen Oswalt, fire department spokesman told us. “But it started outside the building. We believe a large stack of wooden pallets outside the southwest corner of the building was set on fire, either accidentally or on purpose.”
The pallet fire burned so intensely, Oswalt explained, that it broke the building’s exterior windows nearby. The fire then jumped inside the building. He confirmed that the company’s last employee had left the building some four hours before the start of the fire, and that nobody was in the building when it burned.
The fire investigation is continuing.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News ~ Published May 29, 2006
See amazing photos … and read what happens when men and women of Portland Fire & Rescue – from all over East Portland – pulled on their gear and headed out to fight one of the largest industrial fires in years …
The Taylor Electric fire was so intense; embers flew up stories high into the air. In fact, a pallet rack shelf was projected high into the night sky by an explosion of burning material, carried up on convection current.
A firefighter climbs atop an adjoining building to make sure embers didn’t set it ablaze.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
It was a typical, busy day for the firefighters at Westmoreland’s Station 20 on May 17. But their shift eventually included fighting one of the largest fires in recent history.
“Our 24-hour shift begins at 8 am,” Portland Fire & Rescue’s Dave Gallucci told East PDX News. “Right off the bat, we were busy. Nothing major, we went on a number of runs ‚Äì mostly medical calls ‚Äì throughout the day.”
Station 20, located on S.E. Bybee Boulevard, just west of the Bybee Bridge, is a four-person station house. By early evening, Gallucci and Jeff Von Allmen had set about making dinner for the crew. “We all ate, and the day started to slow down,” Von Allmen said.
Westmorland Portland Fire & Rescue Station 20 firefighters Dave Gallucci and Jeff Von Allmen were two of the 125 firefighters who fought the four-alarm, Taylor Electric Company fire that could be seen for miles around.Business picks up for Station 20
“We generally turn in around 10 pm,” Gallucci told us. “I do a little reading, and off with the light. That’s when the Tap Out [fire call] sounded. We’re familiar with that area, so we didn’t wait ‚Äì we pulled on our turnouts [fire jackets, pants and boots], and headed for the fire.”
“It was our co-firefighter, Dan Kendoll’s, last shift. He was facing forward in the engine cab, and he said he could see the flames lighting up the sky by the time we got to Holgate,” Von Allmen told us. “We jokingly blamed the late call-out on Kendoll, as we drove to the command post.”
They could see a train was blocking the Milwaukie Avenue crossing north of Powell, so they cut over to McLoughlin Boulevard, north on S.E. Grand, then to Clay Street.
“The fire was really ripping,” Gallucci continued. “I was the driver for the shift, so I started up the pump as the other crew members hooked up hoses at S.E. Second and Madison.” The blaze was just west of MLK Boulevard, just north of the Hawthorne Bridge, and only a couple of blocks east of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and a branch campus of Portland Community College.
Engine supplies water
Because a high ladder truck carries no water, and doesn’t have its own pumps, it’s fire engines like Engine 20, that boosts the hydrant water pressure enough send it up the hose to the top of the five-story-high ladder, so it can be sprayed down on the fire.
Von Allmen confirmed that no firefighters were being allowed in the building, “But our engine also ran a hand-held line we used to shoot water into the windows at ground level. We put out a little of the fire.”
About an hour after the fire was discovered, the roof on the city-block-sized building collapsed, spewing a shower of sparks and cinders, and blowing large boards high into the night sky. Firefighters were dispatched to the roofs of nearby buildings to make sure they didn’t catch fire.
Karla Peterson was one of the hundreds of people came to watch this, one of the largest fires ever in the Southeast industrial area, burn on into the night. Although Peterson was blocks away from the fire, she winced and withdrew a step as the inferno exploded into the night sky. “I’ve never seen anything this. It’s awesome; I mean, awful. All the water can’t seem to put it out.”
Keeps truck cool
“The fire in the building was so intense, it wasn’t long until we could see our engine was really heating up,” Von Allmen picked up the story. “When we hit it with water, steam poured off it. Unfortunately we’d left a couple of our windows down ‚Äì it got cleaned out pretty good. We kept drenching our engine until the fire was out.”
Through the wee hours of May 18th, the Sellwood-Moreland firefighters stayed at their post, supplying 1,500 gallons of water per minute, for four hours – pushing 360,000 gallons of water, from their rig alone, to douse the conflagration.
“As close as we were to the fire, we didn’t get much smoke,” Gallucci recalled. “It was blowing away from us, so we didn’t have to wear our breathing apparatus. Some of the firefighters went through several bottles of air. Their rigs, in the smoke, got so dirty, they later had to be hand-washed, even after pressure spraying.”
“The fire burned so hot,” Von Allmen added, “it burned out pretty quickly. Sometimes a large fire like this can burn for days.” Working together, a total of 125 Portland Fire & Rescue crewmembers managed to protect all of the surrounding buildings.
Home, but not for long
By 4 am, the Station 20 crew was released, and was back in their firehouse. “It only took about an hour to square away our rig,” Von Allmen told us. “We just got settled down, and then a medical call came in. That was about 6 am.”
The following day, firefighters were still on scene, putting out the hot spots that remained.“It was a long day,” concluded Gallucci, “but in many ways, it was just another day in the life of a firefighter.”
After the fire
To prevent electrocution, Portland General Electric crews disconnected power from the industrial area’s grid shortly after the fire broke out. Good thing; at least three power transformers exploded in the fire’s intense heat, releasing their cooling oil. Millions of gallons of water running off from the firefighting carried it into Willamette River.
According to Taylor Electric’s operations manager, the burnt building was filled with about $4 million worth of inventory, including wire, circuit breakers, transformers, and other equipment.
Eating pizza provided by a nearby business owner is firefighter John Robinson with Station 4.
Business owner provides lunch
As firefighters continued to douse the smoldering rubble the following morning, a table laden with pizzas appeared outside Rose’s Restaurant Equipment, directly across the street from the burned out building.
“We watched it on TV,” said owner Karen Rose, “and our son was here, keeping an eye on the store. We were concerned about the front of our building. The firefighters did a really good job.”
Rose said a firefighter asked if we knew where they order a sandwich, because they couldn’t leave their post. “We immediately called Dave Clark, owner of Pietro’s Pizza in Milwaukie. He asked, ‘How many?’ The firefighters said they couldn’t accept any kind of gifts; so we just set it all out, and walked away. I’m happy to see it looks like most of it is gone!”
Fire cause under investigation
“The exact cause of the huge blaze is still under investigation,” Lt. Allen Oswalt, fire department spokesman told us. “But it started outside the building. We believe a large stack of wooden pallets outside the southwest corner of the building was set on fire, either accidentally or on purpose.”
The pallet fire burned so intensely, Oswalt explained, that it broke the building’s exterior windows nearby. The fire then jumped inside the building. He confirmed that the company’s last employee had left the building some four hours before the start of the fire, and that nobody was in the building when it burned.
The fire investigation is continuing.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News ~ Published May 29, 2006
Strike 1: Live without a working smoke detector. Strike 2: Leave a big pot of cooking oil on the stove – set to high temperature – and leave the room …
Now renting? We think not. The two-alarm fire, caused by a careless cook, gutted this apartment building, chasing 21 people out into the cold, spring night.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Just before 1:00 a.m. on May 7, most people in the apartment building on SE 124th Avenue, just north of Division Street, were deep asleep. Little did they know they would soon be leaving their homes – in the dead of night, with only the clothes on their backs – never to return.
However, one “chef” in the building decided the midnight hour was a good time to do some deep-fat frying.
Unattended pot of oil explodes into flames
Authorities would not disclose the name of the early-morning cook. They did say that the occupant of the first-floor unit poured three or four quarts of cooking oil in a cooking pot, put it on an electric stove, turned the left front burner to the “high” setting, and walked away.
Our readers have seen in the past what happens when a “turkey fryer” gets overheated and the grease boils over onto the heat source ‚Äì instant conflagration.
Portland Fire & Rescue’s Lt. Allan Oswalt told us that, within minutes, the fire “flashed over” and the apartment unit was ablaze.
Blaze lit the night
“I’d drifted off to sleep, watching TV,” said neighbor Andy Andersen, “when I started smelling smoke. I heard people screaming, ‘Fire! Get out!’ I looked out my window and saw kids, women and men running out of the building as the fire department pulled up.”
Down the block, Cheryl Smythe told us, “Our dogs started barking because of the commotion outside the apartment building. When we looked outside, the fire lit up the neighborhood, almost like daylight.”
The fire burned so hot, the steel support for this lighting fixture melted as if it was plastic.
Second alarm called
Oswalt told us that a “second alarm” is typically sounded ‚Äì this brings extra firefighters and equipment to the scene ‚Äì for any multi-family dwelling or commercial building fire. “We want to make sure it doesn’t get away from us.”
Within four minutes of getting the call, the quiet of the early-morning hours was disrupted as 61 fire personnel with nine fire engines and four trucks had responded.
Oswalt said there was “heavy fire involvement in the complex of 10 units, 9 of which were occupied at the time.”
21 people left homeless
Authorities said 16 Adults and five children were displaced due to the damage caused from this fire.
“Instead of leaving them standing out in the cold,” neighbor Anderson observed, “it wasn’t long until a TriMet bus pulled up, letting the people from the burning building get out of the weather.” Red Cross was called in to help in find lodging for the displaced occupants.
Building a “death-trap”‚Ķ?
By 2 a.m., the fire was out; but nine families were homeless; all of their possessions destroyed or damaged by fire or smoke.
A look inside the stairwell of the building that burned due to carelessness in the kitchen.
Authorities firmly stated the building was not a “death-trap”; no code violations have been filed as of publication date. Investigators imply blame the fire on the inattentive late-night cook ‚Äì calling it a fire due to “misuse of material.”
However, fire inspectors did find that air-handling ducts in the building contributed to the spread of the blaze throughout the building. Further, inspectors noted the smoke detector in the unit where the fire started failed or was non-operative.
“We can’t say it too many times,” warned Oswalt, “Smoke detectors save lives. We’re glad no lives were lost in this fire, but look at the tragic situation this fire caused to so many people.”
2006 by David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
See why when a speeding motorcycle rider T-boned an SUV, the result was death …
An officer from Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division uses a laser/GPS measuring device to carefully document the accident that took the life of a motorcyclist who police say was racing another bike.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Warm spring days and evenings bring out fair-weather motorcycle riders. Unlike full-time riders, these occasional bikers often misjudge their skill ability.
Such was the case on May 9 when 33-year-old Scott A. Jones, authorities say, was racing his 1,200 CC Suzuki motorcycle against the rider of a Harley-Davidson on SE Division St.
Grinding crash described
“We just came out of the little store,” says witness Juan Juarez, “and we heard two bikes really winding up, coming up from 122nd. It was like a movie. The guy on the Suzuki T-boned this red truck. Smashed right into the side of it. He didn’t look so good.”
Marla Hooper also saw the crash. “I don’t know how they [the racing motorcycles] could get going so fast in a couple of blocks. A red truck pulled out to turn left [westbound] on Division ‚Äì the next minute one bike smashed into it. The Harley was in the center lane; he just kept going. I don’t even know if he saw the wreck.”
At the scene, Sgt. Dan Costello, Traffic Division, Fatal Investigations Team confirms, “We had two motorcycles racing east on Division from 122nd Ave. A Ford Explorer at 125th and Division St. come to a legal stop, looked both ways, and started to pull out on to Division going westbound.”
Death results from crash
Costello tells us that no drugs or alcohol were suspected in the crash. “It was simply a speed contest; it was a race. The driver of the Suzuki, I call it a ‘pocket rocket’, ran right straight in the middle of the Explorer.”
Jones, the diver of the Suzuki, was unconscious and unresponsive at the scene, Costello reports. Jones died while en route to Emanuel Hospital.
Although highly maneuverable, a “pocket rocket” like this 1,200 CC Suzuki provides the rider little protection when t-boned into a car or truck.
Speed Kills
Investigators from the PPB Fatal Investigations Team determined Jones’ excessive speed was a factor in the collision. No charges have been made, as the case is still under investigation.
Investigators would like to speak with the individual Jones was racing at the time of his collision. The second motorcycle was described a Harley-Davidson with extended handlebars and blue, ground-effect lights.
Anyone with information is asked to call Officer Barry Busse at (503) 823-2103.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
Learn how NOT to get swindled: East Portland auctioneer Robert W. Mathisen is said to have stolen more than $1 million in goods and cash. Even worse, he robbed a community of trust …
Looking at a doll that was part of a truckload of merchandise Portland Police say was stolen ‚Äì then taken to Chicago ‚Äì is NRT Officer Michele Michaels, with its owner, West Coast Antiques’ Ann Smith. David F. Ashton photo
By David F. Ashton
Members of Portland’s antique and collectables community were shocked in late 2004 to find the Southeast Portland building, home of Robert W. Mathisen’s Professional Auction Group, empty.
When Mathisen and his wife, Ginger, left town, they not only took money owed to collectors and ordinary people who had consigned their valuables for him to sell – but also, a truck full of valuable antiques and collectables.
These valuables came from estate sales and collectors throughout East Portland.
The police had originally advised victims to “write off” their losses. But, when Sgt. Dave Anderson assigned East Precinct officers Michele Michaels and Sheri Davis to the case in 2005, the mystery of the Mathisens’ disappearance slowly began to unravel.
“What kept this investigation alive, Michaels told us, “was that each person we talked to gave us another person to speak with. Many of the victims know one another, in the antique and auction community.”
Son gives up parents
The case broke open when they convinced one of Mathisens’ sons, living in Chicago, to talk. The break came just in time ‚Äì most of the goods were about to be auctioned off in the Windy City.
Anderson, Michaels, and Davis flew to Chicago–packed up the goods–and trucked them back to Portland. The merchandise was put on display at East Precinct in late April, so victims could come and identify their treasures.
“Not only did Mathisen take off with their valuables and money,” Michaels told us, “he took away a piece of their life. The people he cheated gathered at his auction house every week or so. They enjoyed each other’s company; it was like a family. In addition to stealing their valuables and money, Mathisen stole their ability to trust.”
Reunited with lost treasures
Ann Smith of West Coast Antiques was at East Precinct when we arrived. Opening an antique case belonging to Smith and her husband Leonard, she said, “This is one of several dolls we had consigned to Mathisen.”
Smith recounted how their relationship soured, as Mathisen became slow to pay after goods were auctioned. “Finally he stopped paying at all,” Smith continued. “So, we stopped giving him goods to consign.” The final straw, she added, was when two checks Mathisen gave her bounced because he had stopped payment on them.
Officers who helped crack the case, Sheri Davis and Michele Michaels, stand in the East Precinct Community Room – then resembling a showroom at a high-end auction house, laden with merchandise they say auctioneer Robert Mathisen took with him after he disappeared in 2004. David F. Ashton photo
Learn not to be cheated
Michaels told us, “The people who got taken told us, ‘Gosh, I feel so silly, so dumb.’ Or, ‘I wish I’d checked them out better.’ But remember, con artists do what they do well ‚Äì this is what makes them successful.”
How can you protect yourself?
“Listen to your small inner voice,” Michaels said. “If you get the feeling like something isn’t right ‚Äì beware. If someone tells you, ‘please don’t cash this check until next week”, this is a bad sign. Ask around. If you’re putting something on consignment, ask your friends what they know about a particular dealer. Try out an auction house first with smaller, less valuable things.”
Both officers Michaels and Davis said they’d wished they could have collared the Mathisens in Chicago; the slippery couple escaped. “But isn’t it wonderful seeing the smiles on people’s faces who are reunited with their treasures?” Michael’s asked, looking around the room.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
By David F. Ashton
Bars and mini-mart workers must know it’s wrong to sell booze to kids. A quick look at the ID of a young-ish looking guy or gal isn’t that difficult. Yet, during Spring Break, getting a swig of hooch wasn’t a problem for several underage youth.
Some of these young people who got served were on a mission ‚Äì and, that mission wasn’t go get drunk. These kids were Portland Police Cadets. They were working with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to identify employees of businesses who sell alcohol to minors.
Portland Police Cadets Ryan Mele and Ryan Brown aren’t ready to “throw down a cold frosty one” ‚Äì they’re working a mission to see who is selling booze to underage drinkers without checking their ID.
The mission included 100 randomly selected businesses located throughout the city.Of the 96 businesses that were open, employees in 28 of those businesses sold alcohol to minors. By the way, the Cadet’s never carry fake ID ‚Äì they present their real Oregon Driver’s License when ‚Äì or in some cases, if ‚Äì asked for it.
Serve up another round? Sadly, employees at this East Portland establishment didn’t check the ID of Spring Break party people Ryan Brown and Andrea Ettlin. They’re under age. And, they’re East Portland Police Cadets, working a mission to curb booze sales to under-age drinkers.
During their eight-hour spree, some establishment employees did not ask to see the Cadets’ identification, while others did not check the identification closely enough. These careless employees were cited for Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor, which is a Class A misdemeanor.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
The 3 a.m. fire at Portland Christian High School was perhaps the work of cowardly hoodlums, students surmise. David F. Ashton Photos
By David F. Ashton – April 3, 2006
The normally quiet of an early morning on NE San Rafael St. was shattered by the roar of fire engines and the wail of sirens early Monday morning. Firefighters sped along NE 122nd Ave. to answer a second fire call to Portland Christian School, within in the past two months.
Bureau officials say the 3 a.m. fire was at the school’s field house and coach’s office. The blaze, it appears, was started in two portable toilets located next to the grandstand structure, on the north side of building.
This fire was said to have caused $7,500 in damages. The fire about 60 days ago did $32,000 in damages to vehicles and buildings.
Officials say “racist and sexual graffiti” was emblazoned on the outside of a structure nearby the fire scene. Portland Police Bureau Bias Crimes Unit has been called in to investigate the case.
“The talk at school is that who ever did this probably doesn’t even know the meaning of a swastika. It’s the work of punks who want to seem tough,” is how a student who identified himself as Josh, put it to us, outside the school grounds that afternoon. “You notice that these cowards did this in the middle of the night – not when we’re out here.”
The culprit of this fire is subject to Felony Arson charges, officials say. Have information? Call Portland Fire & Rescue investigators at (503) 823-3791.
More on this story as it develops.
?ì 2006 David F. Ashton ‚Äì East PDX News ‚Äì All Rights Reserved
