A Northeast Portland home incurred damage and a fire erupted when a driver, late on Christmas Eve, supposedly mishandled a turn, veering off the road and into the residence. As reported by KOIN 6, the incident happened around 11:15 p.m. near Northeast 24th and Weidler Street. Fire crews arrived to discover the car crash caused a natural gas line to rupture, igniting a fire that gave the impression of engulfing the whole house, though, in reality, most of the burning was localized gas fire.
The dispatched firefighters, in their attempt to manage the blaze, worked alongside Northwest Natural. They found working to clamp the compromised gas line, facing the challenge while a car was still pinned against the gas meter. The crews were eventually able to stabilize the situation, averting further risk. To combat the flames, which had initially appeared to cover the entire home, the main body of the actual fire was restricted to one side, leaving the house less structurally harmed.
While battling the fire, rescue personnel were able to provide aid to the occupants of the house. They rescued a family cat, providing it with oxygen after enduring smoke exposure, as detailed by KATU News. While there were no human injuries reported, the incident did lead to at least one resident being displaced due to the fire. Police have not released further details about the driver involved in the crash, but authorities mentioned that they are continuing to look into the matter.
