A fire broke out on top of a train car in the 8300 block of Southeast McLoughlin Boulevard, sending Portland Fire & Rescue crews racing to the scene. The cause, officials say, was a battery that ignited on the roof of the car — and everyone aboard made it out safely.
Portland Fire & Rescue had initially flagged the incident as a possible MAX train fire, posting on social media that reports indicated a train car was smoking and that crews were responding to the location. That post, shared from the department's account, came in around 5:10 pm Pacific time Monday evening. KPTV reported that firefighters had determined the fire stemmed from a battery sitting atop the train car.
Everyone Got Out Safely
The most important detail to come out of Monday's response: everyone was out of the train by the time the fire was addressed, per the same station's report. No further details were immediately available about the extent of the damage or how long the fire burned.
The fire required crews to account for electrical hazards before using water. Firefighters used dry-chemical extinguishers because of concern about active current in the battery compartment, while overhead power lines were shut off; hoses were positioned to protect nearby train cars and structures. The response took about 40 minutes, Portland Fire & Rescue said.
Portland Fire & Rescue, which operates under the handle @PDXFirePortland and is tasked with protecting life, property, and the environment across the city, said a battery on top of the train car started the fire and all passengers made it out. The department's initial alert described reports of a smoking train car before firefighters arrived.
Not the First Fire Involving a Portland Train
Train fires aren't unheard of in the Portland area. Back in August 2023, KPTV reported that a 59-year-old man was accused of deliberately setting a fire inside a MAX train, a case that was unrelated to Monday's incident but underscores that fires aboard the region's rail system have drawn scrutiny before. Monday's fire, by contrast, was attributed to a battery malfunction rather than any suspected intentional act.
MAX Orange Line service was disrupted between Lincoln St/SW 3rd Ave and Park Ave, shuttle buses were serving nearby stops, and the SE Tacoma St/Johnson Creek station remained closed. Hoodline will update this story if Portland Fire & Rescue or other officials release further details.
The incident affected the Orange Line, the 7.3-mile MAX route linking Portland State University and downtown with inner Southeast Portland, Milwaukie and Oak Grove. The line opened on Sept. 12, 2015, with 10 stations; TriMet identifies Tacoma/Johnson Creek as one of its stops. The corridor’s reach beyond Portland helps explain why a closure near McLoughlin can interrupt trips between the city center and communities to the south, TriMet’s project history shows.
