INCLUDES UNIQUE FIREFIGHTING VIDEO | Here’s why more than 50 firefighters were dispatched to this single-family residence fire in outer East Portland this week …
Even as more firefighters gather to hook up water line hoses and spray the burning house, flames newly erupt from the south side of this Brentwood-Darlington residence.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The thick black smoke could be seen from some distance, when a house at 7729 SE 54th Avenue caught fire on Wednesday afternoon, September 24.
At 2:42 p.m. Portland Fire & Rescue (PP&R) dispatched stations in Southeast Portland were dispatched; by coincidence, the first to arrive was an on-duty Fire Investigator who was in the area. The investigator radioed dispatchers confirming that two homes were affected; one completely involved with fire, and a second residence likely to start burning soon.
See brigades of firefighters work to put out a house fire, and save the next door neighbor’s residence, too:
“With two homes potentially involved, the Incident Commander immediately elevated this incident to a second alarm response, bringing about 50 firefighters, and their rigs – including some from Clackamas County Fire District 3 – to the scene,” PF&R Public Information Officer Rick Graves said.
Firefighting crews mass to attack this fire from both inside and outside.
“This is a single-story manufactured home, with lots of objects inside and surrounding the home, had significant fire showing – and heavy dark smoke pushing out of all of the doors, windows, and vents.”
In the yard of adjoining houses, a firefighter keeps the fire from spreading.
Although its paint is singed, and its outdoor air conditioning unit was charred, firefighters quickly hosing down the house next door kept it from igniting.
First rigs to arrive were PF&R Woodstock Station 25’s Engine Company, some of whom focused their efforts on preventing the house ablaze from igniting the neighboring structure. Other firefighters took water hose lines inside the burning house, and worked to quench flames inside it.
Westmoreland Fire Station 20’s Engine Company was next to arrive. Their crew used a large hose, hooked to their rig, to spray down the adjoining endangered residence, while also shooting water onto the burning house’s exterior.
“Crews have been able to apply water on the fire – going inside through two sides and eliminate the bulk of the flames in the single level home,” Graves told East Portland News at the scene. “Unfortunately, the fire had extended into the attic space above.”
-5 Seeing that the roof is clearly compromised, this firefighter hastily backs down the ladder.
Flames in the attic compromised the roof structural members, causing a significant roof sag and near-collapse, which kept Ladder Truck firefighters on the ground and unable to cut the needed “vertical ventilation” holes.
-6 This firefighter cuts a hole in the gable, to access the fire under the roof …
-7 … and then sprays water into the burning attic space.
“So, firefighters instead cut ventilation openings into the gables, gaining access to the attic space [that way], and eventually applied water to the flames in the attic,” Graves explained.
-8 This crew member uses a FLIR Thermal Imaging Camera to check for hidden hot spots.
About 30 minutes after the firefighters arrived, the flames were substantially under control. “The cause of this fire is still under investigation — but it has been determined to be accidental in nature, without a definitive cause known yet,” informed Graves.
The Red Cross is assisting three adults who were displaced by the fire.
© 2025 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
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