Portland Fire Responds to Building Collapse and 2nd Alarm Fire Overnight

Portland Fire & Rescue (PFR) responds to both a structural collapse and a second alarm ..."> Portland Fire Responds to Building Collapse and 2nd Alarm Fire Overnight

Portland Fire & Rescue (PFR) responds to both a structural collapse and a second alarm ..." /> Portland Fire Responds to Building Collapse and 2nd Alarm Fire Overnight

Portland Fire & Rescue (PFR) responds to both a structural collapse and a second alarm ... "> Portland Fire Responds to Building Collapse and 2nd Alarm Fire Overnight (Photo)

Portland Fire Responds to Building Collapse and 2nd Alarm Fire Overnight (Photo)

August 07, 2023 10:30

  

Portland Fire Responds to Building Collapse and 2nd Alarm Fire Overnight

Portland Fire & Rescue (PFR) responds to both a structural collapse and a second alarm fire in the early morning hours overnight. At just after midnight crews responded to the area of NW Flanders & NW 4th Avenue to a roof collapse of a parking garage. No injuries reported with only damage to anything aside from the structure itself were vehicles parked on that level. Later the same morning crews responded to a fire of large tire chip pile in the St. Johns Neighborhood of North Portland. With the assistance of on scene staff from the location, the fire has been extinguished with no injuries reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Crews from the Technical Rescue and Structural Collapse Team of PFR responded to a parking garage with a partially collapsed roof at just after midnight. An investigation is underway to determine the likely cause of the structural deficiency. The area of collapse was being used by an adjacent auto repair facility to store both fleet vehicles and cars under repair with damage to multiple vehicles because of the collapsed roof. Building owners have communicated with Portland’s Bureau of Development Services to determine the future of the structure. There were no reported injuries to anyone at the location. Pedestrian traffic along the sidewalk adjacent to the structure will be redirected but all vehicular traffic will be unaffected for the time being.

A few hours later, our crews responded to a tire recycling facility in the St. Johns Neighborhood. With the size of the smoke column visible from quite a distance and a potential for a need for a significant workforce on site, a second alarm assignment was called for early in the incident. With the initial efforts of the aerial master stream from the ladder truck extinguishing much of the fire, few, if any of the second alarm assigned companies were put to work in this incident. An onsite heavy equipment operator assisted our crews by spreading out the large pile of recycled tire chips using a bulldozer to allow us to cool and extinguish all the hot spots within the large pile. Crews will be returning throughout the day to be certain the pile is cool and ensure there will not be a flare up of the material. On site personnel are also using a yard hydrant and a hand line to continue to put water into any potential areas of fire. The cause of this fire is under investigation. On site camera footage is being evaluated to identify any suspicious activity where the fire is believed to have started to aid in the investigation process. No injuries were reported at this site due to the fire.

Portland Fire would like to thank BDS for their assistance and direction given with regard to the structural collapse. In addition, PFR would like to thank the staff and representatives at the tire recycling facility for their assistance in extinguishing what was certain to be a much longer scene time had they not been available to help.

 

(We do not have any high-quality images of the interior of the structural collapse.)

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