July 27, 2012
4:26 PM
This morning at 11:42 am Portland Fire & Rescue Responded to reports of an explosion and a boat on fire in the North Portland Harbor at the Jantzen Beach Gas Dock. The fire boat from Portland Fire's Hayden Island Fire Station 17 arrived to find an 18' boat fully engulfed in flames. There were three people on the boat at the time of the incident.
The passengers on the boat stated that they had just finished fueling and had started the boat to pull away from the dock when the explosion and subsequent fire occurred. The boaters stated that the explosion blew the engine's cowling (cover) approximately 30' into the air. All of the occupants jumped from the boat and swam safely back to the dock.
The fire boat quickly extinguished the fire and towed the boat to the 42nd Street boat ramp that is located off of Marine Drive. The boat was then loaded onto a trailer and pulled from the river. Fire Investigators are working to determine the fire's cause. No one was injured in either the explosion or subsequent fire. The boat will be a total loss.
Portland Fire & Rescue reminds boat owners to conduct routine inspections and maintenance of boats for safety. The public is also reminded to wear personal floatation devices while boating.
On July 25, 2012, a local Portland running group known as the Hash House Harriers (and many other names) visited Portland Fire Station 19 (Mt. Tabor) with a large donation of new toys for Toy 'n Joy. The group also raised a significant cash donation for Toy 'n Joy - a Portland Fire & Rescue charity that collects and distributes toys to needy children around the holidays and after a significant fire event.
The group, described by firefighters as “lively” and “spirited”, was dressed in holiday attire and followed a three mile route through the Mt. Tabor neighborhood to the station.
The Hash running group began in 1938 in an eatery or Hash House called the Selangor Club Chambers, close to the British outpost in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. An Englishman by the name of A. S. Gispert and a few friends came up with a briliant idea of introducing a weekly dose of exercise into their routine. Gispert and company decided the run would be followed by a round of high-octane socializing. The name of the organization reflects its birth in a "Hash House". Hence the Hash House Harriers. This group has a long tradition of having fun and getting exercise while they do it non-competitively.
Portland Fire & Rescue wishes to thank the Harriers for their generous donation to needy kids in our community and selecting "Christmas in July" as their running theme.
July 30, 2012
2:01 PM
UPDATE: Upon arrival, crews from Portland State Station 4 determined that one individual had contact with the substance. During a routine procedure, the patient was mixing approximately 30 pesticide chemicals when a small leak in the mixing vessel allowed small amounts to spill out. An unknown quantity was inhaled and spilled onto the patients hand.
Areas near the affected room were evacuated as a precaution, but monitoring the air revealed negligible levels.
The HazMat Team from Mill Park Station 7 decontaminated the patient, who was then transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. A HazMat crew, wearing protective clothing and SCBA's entered the room to assist with cleanup and isolation of the spill. With the use of their "Entry-Link Camera" (see photo), a wireless camera with monitor system that lets Incident Commanders see what was going on from a safe distance, employees were able to direct HazMat to where the spill was and what items were contaminated.
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Portland Fire was dispatched to 2130 SW 5th Avenue to report of a spill of an unknown chemical(s). 1 person is reported to have been exposed. HazMat Crews are onscene.
