Midnight-hour fire chars Powellhurst-Gilbert house

Even though it was two days after the blizzard, see how the wintery conditions that persisted in outer East Portland complicated this firefight …

Firefighters make their way through unplowed ice and snow covered residential streets to reach this Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood fire.

By David F. Ashton

As wintery conditions continued in outer East Portland on Saturday, February 15, a fire broke out in a Powellhurst-Gilbert rental house after midnight at 11711 SE Bush Street.

Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) crews, dispatched to the blaze at 12:41 a.m., slipped-and-slid their way along the ice-and-snow covered streets. But, thanks to having tire chains installed, they soon pulled up to the burning home.

With the fire having spread into the house, Ladder Truck Company firefighters make their way to the roof to attack the fire from above.

Here’s a better look a crews cutting holes in the ice-and-snow-covered roof.

As they arrived, firefighters radioed back to dispatchers, and to the other rigs on the way, that they were seeing “heavy fire” on the exterior of the structure which was pushing into the interior and attic areas.

While some of the crews worked to extinguish the flames, others made sure all occupants had safely made it outside the burning house. A Ladder Truck Company crew laddered up to the roof to cut “vertical ventilation” holes in the roof for toxic and combustible gasses to escape.

Thanks to prompt response by PF&R crews, this triplex, built on the property next to the flaming house, was kept from damage.

“The major part of fire was knocked down quickly,” a PF&R spokesperson said. “A person with a cut hand was medically evaluated by a firefighter/paramedic, was treated, and didn’t need to go to the hospital.”

The occupants were given shelter by neighbors.

A PF&R Fire Investigator arrived at the scene but has not yet revealed the cause of the fire – which is said to remain under investigation.

All images courtesy PF&R

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