2:34 PM

At 11:33 am, Portland Firefighters were dispatched to reports of fire in the attic of a house at 3244 NE 51st. When firefighters from Portland Fire Station 28 (Rose City/Hollywood) arrived at 11:36 am, just three minutes later, they found heavy smoke coming from the finished attic of the two-story house. Firefighters made entry into the house and found an occupant standing at the bottom of the stairs preparing to head up the stairs to fight the fire with a garden hose.

The occupant was advised to remove himself to safety and firefighters ascended the stairs and began fighting the fire. Concealed spaces on the second floor/attic made firefighting difficult.

Fire attack crews reported very high heat and requested vertical ventilation (a hole cut in the roof) by ladder truck crews. The fire was declared under control at 12:16 pm. There were no injuries associated with the fire. The occupant’s pets were removed safely.

Fire investigators responded and determined that the cause of the fire was from an unattended candle. Damage estimates are not available at this time. The house is uninhabitable and the occupants will be staying with friends.

Candles start more than 13,000 home fires each year. Portland Fire & Rescue reminds citizens never to leave burning candles unattended.