Firefighters found heavy flames tearing through a house in Portland's NE PDX Gateway neighborhood Tuesday morning, with the blaze so intense it severed overhead power lines that crashed to the ground before crews could knock it down. All occupants were out of the structure.
According to Portland Fire & Rescue
, the department responded to the residential fire and described heavy fire on arrival that was impinging upon overhead power lines. Those lines were severed and fell, prompting firefighters to request the power company to the scene. The department reported that all occupants were out of the structure and that water was being applied to the fire.
Downed Lines Add Danger to an Already Intense Scene
Fire crashing into overhead utility lines has become a recurring hazard at Portland-area house fires this year. Back in August, a residential blaze at a Southeast Portland apartment building near Mount Tabor brought down power lines and temporarily shut part of Stark Avenue, according to oregonlive.com. Firefighters at that scene also found heavy flames impinging on the structure when they arrived, the outlet reported.
That August fire ultimately destroyed one apartment unit and displaced a family of four — two adults and two children — along with their dog, the same report noted. No injuries were reported there, and the cause remained under investigation at the time of that reporting. Gresham Fire crews assisted Portland Fire & Rescue in putting out that blaze, which firefighters extinguished around 7:30 a.m.
Another Recent Fire Hit a Nearby East Portland Block
Just weeks before Tuesday's Gateway fire, an early-morning fire struck a house along NE 112th Avenue near NE Halsey Street, bringing out Portland Fire & Rescue crews at 3:44 a.m. on October 11, according to eastpdxnews.com. All three people inside that single-story house safely exited before firefighters arrived, the outlet reported, after being alerted by smoke alarms.
Firefighters at that Hazelwood-area fire located the blaze in an attic space, though the house's construction made access difficult at times, per the same report. Preliminary findings indicated that fire was caused by an electrical issue, and people and pets were reported safe once it was extinguished.
As of Tuesday morning, Portland Fire & Rescue had not released further details on the Gateway fire's cause, the extent of damage, or whether power had been restored to the area. Crews were applying water to the fire, and the power company had been requested to the scene.
