Overnight Third Alarm Residential Fire in the Belmont Neighborhood (Photo)

July 17, 2023 15:50

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Overnight Third Alarm Residential Fire in the Belmont Neighborhood

Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a house fire overnight that demanded a third alarm response to protect all the surrounding homes in the Belmont Neighborhood. No injuries were reported to any responder or civilian. The vacant home is a total loss and one neighboring home had significant damage that will displace any residents.

Just after 2:30 AM, Portland Fire was dispatched to a reported fully involved house in the 500 block of SE 35th Avenue. The first arriving engine confirmed a 2 ½ story home with heavy fire showing on all sides. The chief arrived and asked for a second alarm to provide enough firefighters on scene to address the house on fire along with protect the exposure homes in this block of homes located closely together. The body of fire had ruptured the overhead powerlines on this side of the street causing live power lines on the ground near the homes increasing the dangers for the responders. 

A defensive fire attack strategy was directed on the primary home with large diameter hose lines employed from the outside cool and reduce the flames. The exposure home to the north now had active fire showing in the attic and an offensive fire attack was directed with crews from the first and second alarm assignments. This offensive fire attack was directed by a different chief on scene and involved taking hand lines to the inside of this exposure home to extinguish the fire. Crews were sent to the roof of the exposure home to open of ventilation holes to gain better access to the fire along with allowing trapped smoke and heated gasses to escape from the exposure home on the north side of the main home in question. The heat from main body of fire melted the siding and blew out the windows of the exposure home to the south of the main fire address. Crews made entry and pulled ceiling in the top floor to be certain that the heat level had not risen to ignition temperatures in this structure and continued to focus efforts on exposure control to limit and further damage to this address.

The fire was extinguished, and entire scene considered under control in just over 75 minutes with all the third alarm companies returning to their home stations without being assigned to any task. The fire transitioned into a fire watch operation with a few companies remaining to ensure there was not a hidden body of fire in the main address that was able to grow in the absence of fire personnel on scene.

Crews on scene were forced to work around the increased dangers of the scene with live power lines on the ground along with the potential collapse of the fire building which added increased challenges to the incident throughout the incident. Emergency tape and strobe lights were put in place to keep firefighters safe until the power company was able to deenergize the lines.

It was reported that the primary home on fire was under a major remodel project and vacant at the time and is a total loss. The home to the north will also have a period for repairs to occur before it will be tenable. The home to the south should be viable for occupancy quickly. The fire is under investigation, No one was reported to be injured in any of the structures in question. 

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