Portland Fire & Rescue investigators have determined the cause of the house fire this morning. Combustibles too close to a baseboard heater sparked the fire that displaced two people. The fire severely damaged the home and caused an estimated $80,000 in damage.

There have been numerous fires caused by heating devices in the metro area since the weather has turned colder. Any device that creates heat needs a space of about three feet around it clear of anything that will burn.

The home did not have a working smoke alarm and the two young men who escaped the fire this morning were very fortunate to have survived.

Keep yourself and your family safe by reading the warnings and recommendations that come with all portable heating devices.  And remember:

• Install a smoke alarm in every bedroom, one outside the bedrooms, and one on every level of your home. Test your smoke alarms every month.
• Space heaters need space. Keep combustibles at least three feet away from each heater.
• When buying a space heater, look for a control feature that automatically shuts off the power if the heater falls over.

At 4:50 am this morning, Portland Fire & Rescue firefighters responded to the report of a house on fire on SE 76th Avenue. Prior to the arrival of firefighters, a Portland Police sergeant on patrol in the area reported that the house was "fully engulfed in flame."

For more information, visit http://www.newsbridge.net/Portland_Fire_and_Rescue/.

Photos by Dick Harris, Portland Fire & Rescue

November 3, 2009

Portland Fire & Rescue was highly visible and had some very positive interactions with community members during this year’s National Night Out celebration on August 4, 2009.

Firefighters from Station 2

Photo courtesy of East PDX News

http://eastpdxnews.com  

National Night Out is a unique community event celebrated the first Tuesday of August each year that focuses on prevention of crime and drug activity. National Night Out is designed to:

• Heighten community awareness of crime and drug prevention
• Generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships
• Send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back
• Promote emergency preparedness awareness

On-duty Portland Fire & Rescue firefighters attended 78 neighborhood events, dedicated over 225 staff hours to the National Night Out activities, and made contact with several thousand citizens. The firefighters participated in a wide variety of activities including potlucks, block parties, cookouts, and BBQ’s.  Firefighters also:

• Displayed a new Pierce fire engine
• Demonstrated the use of our turnout uniforms and other safety equipment
• Discussed possible employment opportunities with citizens
• Assisted animal control with an animal rescue at an event
• Filled a 500 gallon dunk tank
• Performed a water display with various nozzles
• Discussed station remodels and temporary relocations
• Talked about seasonal fire and safety hazards
• Explained special responses including responses to hazardous materials situations
• Handed out badges, plastic helmets, and fire education materials 

For more information, tips for organizing a block party, or how you can celebrate National Night Out in August 2010, click here to be redirected to the City of Portland Office of Neighborhood Development’s website.

November 5, 2009

Each week, the Fire Blog will offer a trivia question and answer to boost your fire IQ:

Q:  What three elements must be present at the same time to have a fire?

Think you know the answer?  Post a comment and look for the answer on Monday!

CONGRATULATIONS DAVID YOUNGER!

Your answer was on fire!

A:  In order to have a fire, there must be three elements:

• Fuel—something which will burn
• Heat—enough to make the fuel burn
• Air—more specifically, oxygen

Usually these three elements are expressed as a triangle, called The Fire Triangle.  All three elements must be present at the same time to have a fire. Fire will burn until one or more of the elements is removed.

Heroes with Heart Awards Dinner and Auction

The Trauma Intervention Program NW (TIP NW) of Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington held their 12^th annual Heroes with Heart Awards Dinner and Auction on November 5th, 2009 at the Embassy Suites in Portland, Oregon.  The event was well attended with a bustle of activity, great company, and generous ways to donate to a worthy cause at every turn.

Silent and Live Auctions

The Silent and Live Auctions included over 230 items and baskets that ranged from a Poker Party donated by Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) Training & Safety Division Chief Scott Fisher to a condo stay in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, Mexico donated by Kristi Butcher.  My favorite was the adorable Lhasa Apso puppy up for auction and donated from the Airpet Hotel, Happy Trails to You Kennel, and Pet Reader.

PF&R personnel stepped up and donated close to 20 fire baskets. Well done Stations 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 19, 25, 26, 29, EMS/BHQ, Historic Belmont Firehouse, Training Center, and 6^th Floor Administration!

Main Event

Members of the Portland Fire Honor Guard performed color guard duty to start the dinner portion of the evening off in a respectful and reverent tone.  June Vining, the Executive Director of TIP NW, then extended a heartfelt welcome and thanked everyone for taking part in TIP NW’s efforts to raise money to expand services into neighboring cities and counties and train additional citizens.

During the dinner, Good Samaritan Awards were given to Rentrak Corporation and Officer Mike Kramer with the Oregon City Police Department for exercising an exceptional level of compassion towards the victims and survivors of tragedy.  

Why an Annual Dinner and Auction?
The proceeds of the auction directly benefit TIP NW. TIP is a national voluntary nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that those who are emotionally traumatized in emergency situations receive the assistance they need. To accomplish that goal, TIP works closely with local communities to establish emergency services volunteer programs. In these programs, well-trained citizen volunteers are called to emergency scenes to assist family members, witnesses, and other bystanders who the emergency system often must leave behind.

TIP volunteers are available on a 24-hour, 365-day basis to support family members after a death, crime victims, survivors of suicide, children left alone after a death or injury to their parents, senior citizens and anyone else referred to us by emergency responders. TIP NW responded to 2,007 calls last year and served 12,214 citizens the Portland and Vancouver area.

TIP NW is a chapter that serves Multnomah, Clark, and Clackamas Counties, including their newest expansion into Sandy, Oregon. TIP NW volunteers have served citizens in local communities for over sixteen years.

What Can You Do?

Are you interested in assisting citizens in the Portland and Vancouver areas that are in crisis?  Click here to get more information on the upcoming January 2010 TIP Training Academy or visit the official TIP NW website at http://www.tipnw.org.

November 6, 2009

Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Emergency Department held a news conference on November 6, 2009 to help people with flu-like illness decide when to seek medical care.

Portland-area hospital emergency rooms continue to see heavy volumes of people who think they might have H1N1, but do not.

The Northwest Regional Flu Joint Information Center (NW Regional Flu JIC) has created decision charts to help people determine if they should go to the emergency department.  The NW Regional Flu JIC coordinates public information for Clackamas, Clark, Columbia, Multnomah, and Washington counties in regards to preventing the spread of flu.

The decision charts are also available in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Vietnamese.  Click here to access additional charts.

REMEMBER:  Everyone can help prevent the spread of flu virus by washing hands frequently, coughing into your sleeve, and staying home when you are sick.

November 9, 2009