April 10, 2012

8:09 AM

Portland firefighters responded to reports of a fire at 9220 N. Adriatic Avenue on April 9th at 11:01 pm. Firefighters from Portland Fire Station 26 (Portsmouth/University Park) arrived at the scene within three minutes of being dispatched.

A Portland 48-year-old female was asleep at the time of the fire and recalls being woken by the sound of her smoke alarm going off. She evacuated the home, but later returned to retrieve her purse. Firefighters urge citizens never to return to a burning structure --- instead evacuate immediately and stay a safe distance away from the scene.

Firefighters attacked the fire inside the home, which was primarily contained to the downstairs bathroom and laundry room. The fire started burning through the fiberglass bathtub and foam rubber in the bathroom, which filled the home with heavy black smoke and severely limited visibility for firefighters searching the home. Because the home, built in 2007, was constructed with newer building materials, the synthetic materials burned hotter, faster, and released more toxic smoke than older construction homes.

The Red Cross was called to help the home owner find alternate housing due to the extensive smoke damage in the home. Two Portland Fire investigators responded to the scene. Damage to the home is estimated at $75,000.