A fire tore through a two-story wood-frame home on East Historic Columbia River Highway in Troutdale Thursday night after an e-bike battery exploded while charging in the living room, according to investigators. Six people inside escaped safely, but one cat died in the blaze, and the home had up to three electric bikes or scooters stored inside at the time.
The explosion and resulting fire were caught on camera, as reported by KATU, which said firefighters arrived to find heavy flames coming from the home. Fire crews also ran into a logistical problem on scene: there were no fire hydrants in the area, so Corbett Fire sent water tenders to help battle the blaze. Gresham Fire, which responded to the call, said the fire displaced six people.
Family's Living-Room Footage Likened to Fireworks
Shawn Durham said the fire was caused by exploding lithium-ion batteries used for the e-bike, and he compared the family's video of the living-room fire to fireworks mortars going off. He explained that lithium-ion batteries can cause rapid fire spread because of the sheer amount of energy they generate once they ignite.
Durham said Troutdale residents were fortunate the explosion happened while everyone in the home was awake, giving them the chance to escape quickly before the fire consumed the house. The same cannot be said for the family's cat, which did not make it out.
Gresham Fire crews posted about the overnight response on X, writing that crews located a dog during the primary search and attempted resuscitation before withdrawing interior operations as the roof began to collapse. That detail has not been reconciled with KATU's report of one cat dying in the fire, and it remains unclear whether both accounts describe the same animal.
A Pattern of Battery Fires Across the Metro Area
The Troutdale fire was not an isolated case. Durham said it was one of at least three lithium-ion battery-related fires Gresham Fire has responded to in homes since Oct. 1, with the other two incidents involving a power tool and a laptop. Just days earlier, firefighters blamed a similar cause for a Gresham house fire, telling KGW that cheaper lithium-ion batteries can overheat and explode, and that this likely caused a Gresham home to burn down on a Sunday.
Lithium-ion batteries power everything from cell phones and laptops to power tools and electric vehicles, and state figures show the risk is climbing. The Oregon State Fire Marshal identified 649 statewide incidents involving lithium-ion batteries from 2020 through 2025, with incidents increasing an average of 19% every year over that stretch. The annual count rose 118% over that period, climbing from 74 incidents in 2020 to 161 in 2025, and more than half of those reported incidents occurred in residential dwellings.
What Fire Officials Recommend for Charging Safely
Durham noted that manufacturers provide specific battery-charging instructions, including how long to charge a device and which chargers are appropriate to use. He urged people to read those instructions carefully and avoid overcharging their devices, warning that using the wrong charger can cause a battery to overheat by supplying too much amperage.
The state fire marshal's office echoes that advice, recommending that people use the charger and cord that came with a device, or one approved by its manufacturer. Officials also advise charging larger items like e-bikes, scooters, and power tools outside and away from exits, a precaution that might have changed the outcome for the Troutdale household had it been in place before Thursday night's blast.
