At 2:52 AM, Portland Fire & Rescue received reports of a house on fire at 3610 N. Trenton St..  Engine 26 (Portsmouth/University Park) was the first to arrive and reported heavy smoke outside of the home and that the resident was already out of the structure.  A female tenant in her 60's had 2nd degree burn injuries and was transported by AMR to Emanuel Hospital.

Fire crews entered the residence and reported that the home was very cluttered and that they were having difficulty getting around the house due to the large piles of belongings throughout the home.  After considerable effort, the crews were able to reach the location of the fire and extinguish the flames.  

At the time of this release, fire crews were still at the scene and fire investigators were working to determine the cause of the fire.

Fire response consisted of:
4 Engines
2 Trucks
2 Investigators
2 Chief Officers
1 Ambulance

Excessive clutter, or hoarding, not only can create entering and exiting issues for evacuating occupants, but also can delay fire crews entering the structure. Often, exits are blocked and rooms are filled to the ceiling with stacks of belongings that can easily fall over and entrap firefighters. It's important to realize that firefighters have to navigate through the home in heavy-smoke conditions. Although firefighters may force open an inward-opening exterior door to enter, getting out through the same door may present a problem. In addition, these situations can add tremendously to the fire load, or combustible material in the home.