They don’t know what started the fire ‚Äì but, thanks to quick response, residents and pets are safe ‚Ķ
After finding their way through thick smoke into the basement of this home, firefighters from four companies quickly extinguished the fire.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
An early afternoon house fire broke out January 4 and closed down NE 102nd Ave. at Fremont St. for several hours.
“I was just up the street, and saw a lot of smoke coming up,” is what next-door neighbor Tina tells us. “I thought it was from my house. By the time I got home, I could see it was my neighbor’s house.”
Fast fire response saves home, lives
Other neighbors say fire trucks were pulling up before they even knew there was a problem at the modest bungalow on the outer edge of the City of Maywood Park.
Crews from four engine companies and one truck company from Portland Fire & Rescue began fighting the fire.
“We’ve got a fire in a residence,” Portland Fire & Rescue’s Battalion Chief C2 Kevin Brosseau told us on scene. “It started in the basement. There were people at home when the fire broke out. But, the residents, and their pets, got out safely.”
While the Battalion Chief said fire damage was minimal, the smoke residue on the front windows indicates the residents have some cleanup work ahead of them.
The fire was difficult to reach, Brosseau said, because of the large amount of smoke they encountered. “A smoky, basement fire is always more challenging to fight.”
How the blaze started the fire is unknown, he said. “The cause is under investigation right now.”
© 2007 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
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