FIRE REPORT | ‘Suspicious’ fire at Councilor Candace Avalos’ condo in Mill Park deemed not an attack; fire in Powellhurst-Gilbert ‘clutter house’ claims life of resident …
Early morning fires in Mill Park and Powellhurst-Gilbert send Portland Fire & Rescue crews out on two major blazes.
By David F. Ashton
Two early-morning residential fires, three days apart, kept Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) crews busy this week.
The first of the two blazes, essentially a car fire, gained media attention when it was rumored to have been intentionally set in front of the Mill Park condo residence of a City of Portland elected official. The second conflagration killed its resident, when it consumed his house in Powellhurst-Gilbert.
October 26 at 2:41 a.m.
Mill Park vehicle fire destroys cars, parking shelter near Councilor Candace Avalos’ condo
Firefighters find two vehicles completely engulfed in fire at this outer East Portland condo complex. PF&R image – Dennis Weis
In the wee hours of Sunday, October 26, PF&R crews were dispatched at 2:41 a.m. to a “Vehicle Fire” in the parking shelter of a condominium development on the stub of SE Carothers Street – which juts off SE 124th Avenue, a block north of Division Street.
Upon arrival, firefighters reported back to their dispatcher seeing what looked like “several vehicles” and a carport on fire. The vehicles were parked and unoccupied.
After the fire has been extinguished, crews keep spraying down the carport, making sure no embers remain. PF&R image – Dennis Weis
It didn’t long for firefighters to extinguish the fire, and reportedly no one was injured.
However, as the story broke that day, it came out that the fire was outside the condo residence of Portland City Council District 1 Councilor Candace Avalos, and destroyed her car. At that time, it was rumored that this fire could have been an intentionally-set arson, such as a former City Council member last year experienced in Eastmoreland to his parked car.
Considering the damage to the exterior siding of the home, and “complete destruction” of carport and two vehicles, PF&R Fire Investigators placed the damage estimate in the range of $125,000 to $150,000.
The flames licked up the side wall of a nearby condo building, melting the siding.
PF&R image – Dennis Weis
On October 27, a PF&R spokesperson announced that their investigators could not “definitively determine the exact cause of the fire. However, preliminary findings indicate that the fire did not originate in Councilor Avalos’ vehicle, or other property belonging to her.”
Apparently, instead, the fire began in a storage shed adjacent to her residence, and Councilor Avalos and other nearby residents were affected by the spread of the fire. “Furthermore, no evidence of an accelerant or incendiary device was found – and at this time, there is no evidence to suggest the fire was specifically targeting Councilor Avalos,” the Portland Fire official said.
Investigators are actively working to determine a more specific cause. And they are seeking witnesses.
This still frame from a surveillance video isn’t that clear, but police and fire officials hope you can identify the person walking away from the “cherry glow” of the fire captured in the frame.
On October 29, both PF&R and Portland Police Bureau representatives released an image of a person captured on surveillance video walking away from the fire. “At this time, this person is not considered a suspect; Investigators simply hope to learn more about what they might have seen or heard in the area,” a PF&R official stated.
Contact the PF&R Tip Line at 503-823-3473 or arsontips@police.portlandoregon.gov, and reference PPB Case No. 25-293927, if you have any information about the individual
October 29 at 3:44 a.m.
Man dies in Powellhurst-Gilbert ‘cluttered’ house fire
Ladder Truck company firefighters waste no time laddering up to the roof of this house, to fight the fire from above. PF&R Image by Greg Muhr
In the early hours of Wednesday, October 29, PF&R firefighters were dispatched at 3:44 a.m. to a house fire at 3308 SE 124th Avenue, a half-block from Powell Boulevard.
“Upon their arrival, three minutes after being dispatched, the first-arriving crew reported a single-story house with heavy fire involvement to the back side, and smoke issuing from all sides of the house,” reported PF&R Public Information Officer Rick Graves. “Crews immediately began fire attack and search and rescue efforts.
“Upon entering the house, firefighters were confronted with extremely cluttered conditions – reported as ‘floor to ceiling clutter’ – which made accessing all areas of the house a challenge,” Graves continued.
We can’t see the firefighters at work, but the serpentine hoses leading up the driveway indicate that a lot of water is being put on the fire. PF&R Image by Greg Muhr
At 3:51 a.m. a member of PF&R Mill Park Station 7’s Ladder Truck crew was able to crawl in through a window on the north side of the house, and found high heat conditions in the living room area.
At 3:54 a.m., that firefighter reported finding a victim inside, who was extricated from the house within two minutes of being located. “In spite of patent care efforts, tragically this victim was found to be deceased,” Graves reported.
When a firefighter finally gets the front door opened, it’s clear that the house was, indeed, “cluttered”. PF&R Image by Greg Muhr
Spraying down the inside and outside of the house, using multiple water hose lines, with the main body of the fire knocked down at 3:59 a.m., and the fire was reported to be fully under control at 4:05 a.m.
“The victim was the sole occupant of this house, and the victim’s cat is currently unaccounted for and is possibly deceased,” Graves concluded.
After battling extreme heat and fire, this crew member exits the house.
PF&R Image by Greg Muhr
Well into the daylight hours the following day, PF&R four Fire Investigators were still combing through the charred rubble, seeking the cause for the fatal fire which has not yet publicly been determined.
© 2025 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
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