PF&R Responds To Large Grass Fire In N. Portland (Photo)
-06/16/25
PF&R responds to large grass fire in N. Portland
At just before 7PM, Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a possible grass fire with a caller reporting seeing smoke from a grass field. The location of the field is to the North of the Cintas Warehouse located in the 12300 block of N. Columbia. Engine 22 arrived to a large field (400’x600’ with a distinct slope heading to the west with a few deciduous trees randomly placed throughout) to have fire running nearly the length of the field in light fuels that was beginning to impinge upon the cyclone fencing surrounding the warehouse.
With the large amount of fire, the command officer balanced this vegetation fire to a Wildland Box Assignment to have enough personnel with the correct equipment to address the fire. With the location of this incident, all help is coming from the south and in one case, a rig responded SW Portland with their specialized brush unit used to gain access to fire across soft soils.
There was a light wind out of the north that pushed the fire up against a cyclone fence and ignited a large wooden storage shed on the interior of the warehouse property. Crews diverted from the grass fire to address this structure to prevent this from growing to consume an additional structure or the fleet of Cintas vans in the adjacent parking lot. With heavy fire and the unknown contents of the interior of the shed, the command officer directed a defensive fire operation to use large streams of water to extinguish the fire from the exterior. The wooden roof structure collapsed to reveal 2 large metal con-ex containers that were housed in what was now a burned up wooden shell. Crews kept the fire to the shed structure and prevented the extension of fire to adjacent structures and vehicles.
As the engines were addressing the shed, the brush units and personal ATV’s extinguished the fire in the grass field. Within an hour the crews totaling nearly 30 firefighters had eliminated all the flames present and had ensured the shed was completely extinguished.
Portland Fire Investigations Unit has responded and is performing their forensic investigation to determine cause. It was determined the contents of the large steel storage containers were paper products and metal valves and do not pose an environmental hazard. No reported injuries.
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Second Alarm Fire At Jopp Wood Recycling (Photo)
-06/14/25
Just after 6:45 PM, 9-1-1 received a call to an industrial area of the St John’s Neighborhood in North Portland. Initial reports from the caller stated that a large pile of wood products was on fire and that no homes or structures were threatened.
The first arriving Engine and Truck Companies from St John’s arrived within minutes of being dispatched. The Engine officer took command of the incident and reported a large pile of pallets and wood debris with smoke throughout the pile. Crews were very aware of this location as a year ago, in April 2024, a similar fire broke out. With this prior knowledge and experience, the first due Truck immediately set up its aerial ladder for an elevated master stream. This elevated master stream allows firefighters to direct water to the seat of the fire from above.
As additional units arrived, the first Chief Officer took Command. Incident Command then assigned the on-scene resources to the following tasks: establish a water supply, recon the area to ensure no exposures were present, confirm the best access to the different areas of the wood pile, and set up for additional aerial master streams.
Fire crews worked with site personnel, who were called back to the site, to spread out the wood pile and extinguish any hot spots. This was accomplished with the use of some heavy machinery and excavators that were already on site and were operated by the location’s employees. Three engines and three trucks remained on the scene for an additional time after the incident was recalled to ensure extinguishment. There were no injuries reported during this incident and no residents were displaced.
Portland Fire & Rescue would like to thank our partners with the Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC), Portland Water Bureau, and Port of Portland Terminal 4. At the height of the incident, the following fire resources responded:
Engines – 7
Trucks – 3
Chief Officers – 3
Rehab Unit – 1
PIO – 1
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Portland Fire Investigation Unit Arrests Arson Suspect In Early AM Fire
-06/11/25
Portland Fire Investigation Unit arrests arson suspect in early AM fire
A subject responsible for starting the fire at the Sacred Heart Church contacted 911 to turn themselves in for starting the early AM fire at the Sacred Heart Church located at SE 3926 SE 11th Avenue in the Brooklyn Neighborhood. The suspect was contacted by the Fire Investigators along with Portland Police Officers. The suspect was determined to be experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of the fire. The suspect was interviewed by Arson Detectives and transported to the MCDC where he was booked under one count of Arson II. The Fire/Arson Investigations Unit and Portland Police will work collaboratively wiht the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office to determine the best resolution for this case.
Suspect Information - Domanique L. Wahl-Stephens - 45 YO Male
Estimated damages to church - $3000 of burn damage to original doors circa 1890
Portland Fire & Rescue would like to thank the dispatchers at BOEC and PPB Officers in their assistance in this incident.
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PF&R Investigation Unit Looking For Person Of Interest. (Photo)
-06/09/25
PF&R Investigation Unit looking for person of interest.
The PFR-PPB Fire Investigations Unit (FIU) is looking to contact a person of interest who may have information regarding the 3-alarm fire from Sunday evening near N. Vancouver and Alberta in the Humboldt Neighborhood of NE Portland.
Witnesses passing by the area of the fire yesterday reported seeing a white adult male wearing a light-colored shirt, shorts and baseball cap, driving a 2-door, black convertible, coupe, parked directly across from the fire location for a period of about 30 minutes. The adult male was standing around and may have met up with a female shortly before leaving the area.
The FIU has no reason to believe they are involved, but they are an essential witness that investigators would like to interview immediately. Please contact (503) 823-INFO if you have any information on or a way to contact the individual described above.
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Busy Afternoon On The North End (Photo)
-06/08/25
Portland Fire crews had a busy afternoon in NE Portland. A residential box assignment was dispatched at 5:57pm to NE 22 & Prescott, this is believed to have been an exterior fire that worked its way up the siding of a home and may have worked its way inside. Crews were able to make a quick extinguishment of the fire and it was recalled.
A few minutes after recalling this fire, another residential fire was called in by a passerby at 6:09pm near the intersection of N Vancouver Ave & N Alberta St. The first arriving engine company relayed to all incoming crews that there was fire showing from the rear of a home. That fire was extending to the neighborhing structure causing a 2nd alarm to be called to ensure there would be enough firefighters on scene to extinguish what could potentially have been two structure fires. Eventually a 3rd alarm would be called, this was done for both the amount of work being performed on scene as well as temperatures needing for crews to switch out more often to prevent heat exhaustion. Crews worked quickly and diligently to prevent the fire from spreading too far into either structure by getting hose lines into play quickly. The primary building is a vacant home, and the exposure building is a Wellness Center.
There were no injuries or anyone displaced from this fire, and the cause is under investigation.
PF&R Responds To Suspicious Residential Fire In Early AM Hours. (Photo)
-06/08/25
PF&R responds to suspicious residential fire in early AM hours.
At 5:50 AM Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a possible residential fire in the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood near the intersection of SE 118th and Holgate. Information from BOEC indicated fire and smoke from a recently vacated apartment in a multi-occupancy structure.
Crews arrived to have active fire visible on both the first and second level of an apartment with smoke on the eave line and appearing to be pushing out of the garage as well. Crews quickly went to work performing the required fire suppression activities of extending handheld hose lines, establishing a water supply, searching, and ventilating the structure. The flames were suppressed quickly, and the search resulted in confirming all occupants out of the structure. There were no reported injuries on this incident and neighboring units unaffected so there will not be any displacement of the other occupants of the structure.
There were reports of a suspicious individual on the property who was quicky apprehended and detained by PPB and was in custody upon the arrival of the Fire Investigative Team comprised of 3 investigators and the PFB Arson K9. Fire Investigators are wrapping up their scene investigation. The subject who was detained by police during the initial fire suppression activities has seen been released from detention.
After conducting their scene examination, collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses and the deploying our Arson K9, fire investigators believe this fire was intentionally set.
Investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying any suspicious behavior prior to the fire. If anyone was traveling along SE Holgate between 0530 and 0550am this morning and saw anything or anyone suspicious, please contact 503-823-FIRE or email Lt Jason Andersen at jason.andersen@police.portlandoregon.gov.
Portland Fire would like to thank BOEC and PPB for their assistance in this AM incident and ongoing investigation.
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PF&R FIU Looking For Help In An Overnight Arson Fire. (Photo)
-06/03/25
PF&R FIU looking for help in an overnight arson fire.
The Portland Fire & Rescue-Portland Police Bureau Fire Investigations Unit is actively looking for assistance in locating an individual who used an accelerant to start a fire overnight at a SE Portland restaurant.
At just before 2 AM, PF&R crews responded to a possible structure fire in the Lents Neighborhood at the Ka-Te Restaurant and Bar located at 3554 SE 82nd Avenue. This incident was tapped out to our fire stations as a commercial fire with people trapped on the interior of the structure at this adddress. En route more information from dispatch indicated a fire on the patio was encroaching on the structure. Dispatchers from BOEC were able to successfully communicate to those on the interior to exit through a doorway removing the concern of trapped individuals. PF&R crews arrived to note an active fire on the backside of the structure with people out front.
Face to face communication with those out front indicated all occupants were safely on the outside of the building and a search of the interior confirmed this as accurate. Crews quicky extinguished the fire on the exterior and ensured that the fire did not extend to the interior of the building. Due to the suspicious nature of the fire the command officer requested the on-duty fire investigator to the scene. After interviewing individuals present, evaluating the fire damage, reviewing footage from the location security camera and calling for Kiki, the PF&R accelerate detection K9, this fire was confirmed to be caused by an act of arson. Arson 1 charges are applicable in this act which carries a minimum sentence of 90 months if convicted.
PF&R FIU is looking for the public’s help in identifying this person. If anyone in the local area can check their exterior cameras between 0100 and 0200 this morning for anyone matching the description of the person in this video, we would love additional footage. Please contact 503-823-FIRE (3473) if you have any information that may help in identifying this individual. (There will be a video posted on the PF&R X account that can be accessed to view the individual in the act of depositing an accelerant on the railing of the location).
PF&R would like to thank the dispatchers at BOEC for their assistance on this emergency response.
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PF&R CHAT Crew Notices Smoke Column And Calls In Residential Fire. (Photo)
-06/02/25
PF&R CHAT Crew notices smoke column and calls in residential fire.
At just after 11AM today, a Community Health Assess and Treat team of Portland Fire & Rescue noticed a smoke column in the SE Portland Montavilla Neighborhood and reported a potential structure fire to BOEC. CHAT 2 was in the area performing their duties and observed a large smoke column or “header” and called in a potential structure fire near the intersection of SE Division and SE 89th.
The first arriving apparatus was Rescue 11 out of the Lents Neighborhood. Rescue 11 along with our other dedicated rescues in SE PDX are 2-person response rigs with a smaller water tank and hose designed to address smaller exterior fires and not intended to be used in a structural incident and was forced to wait for the first arriving engine before fire suppression activities could occur. The officer of R11 took command and reported that a two-story boarded up abandoned home had smoke showing on the front corner and directed the other member of the rescue to perform a 360 and report back critical information regarding this emergency to command. Command directed the first in engine to connect to the fire hydrant at the nearby intersection and prepare for an offensive fire attack.
Engine 19 was first in followed closely by Engine and Truck 7. The crews established a water supply, softened the structure by removing the plywood over the windows and accessed the structure through the doors. The interior had a fair amount of smoke on the first floor with more dense smoke and flames on the second floor. Hose lines were drawn into the interior as BC-4 arrived to take command. Truck 25 arrived and cut a hole in the roof to ventilate the structure of the trapped hot gasses and smoke allowing for an improved workspace for the interior firefighters.
As the fire was located and being extinguished a possible fire victim was located on scene. The crew from CHAT 2 began medical triage to evaluate any medical problem because of the fire. Although the CHAT team’s primary duties are low acuity medical calls, the crew is comprised of a seasoned paramedic and an EMT basic so all prehospital medical interventions needed can successfully be addressed by this crew. The crew assessed the victim and recommended he be transported for smoke inhalation evaluation and transferred care to AMR to transport to the hospital.
During the assessment of the fire victim the PF&R EOPS crews continued to locate small pockets of fire on the second floor until complete extinguishment occurred. PF&R Fire Investigations Unit members are on scene to discover cause.
It should be noted that an occupant on the interior of a structure with an active fire can pose a significant threat to the individual and had CHAT 2 not called this fire in when they did, the outcome could have been much worse. This house was in some process of being remodeled and did not have any working smoke detectors on the interior so activating the 911 system and alerting PF&R EOPS crews to respond to the location was paramount in saving the life of this occupant along with saving much of the structure involved in the fire.
Portland Fire would like to thank our public safety partners at BOEC and PPB for their assistance in this emergency along with our prehospital care partners at American Medical Response.
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Second Alarm Fire At Grain Silos (Photo)
-05/31/25
At 7:44 p.m. this evening, Portland Fire crews responded to a second alarm fire at the former grain silos located at 900 North Thunderbird Way, just west of the Rose Quarter.
Engine 3, crossing the Broadway Bridge, observed smoke rising from the north end of the structure. Despite limited access, crews crossed nearby train tracks to reach the scene quickly. The Incident Commander requested all train traffic to stop in the area as we would be crossing the tracks with hose lines. Given the building's size and potential for fire spread, a second alarm was requested.
Firefighters from Station 13 made entry through the west side and found fire on the second floor. After knocking it down, they advanced to the third floor and extinguished additional fires. Crews confirmed that there was no extension to the upper floors, and the incident was brought under control at approximately 8:15 p.m. Some second alarm units were returned to service.
A fire investigator is reviewing the scene amid reports of suspicious activity. One person of interest has been detained for questioning. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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2025 Fleet Week Media Availability / Portland Fire And Rescue To Host Annual Fleet Week Public Affairs Officer Brief At Fire Station 1
-05/30/25
When:
Tuesday, June 3 at 10:30am
Who should attend:
All news and media outlets are invited and encouraged to attend in person.
Location:
Portland Fire & Rescue Station 1
Skidmore Room
55 SW Ash St.
Portland, OR 97204
Why:
Get the latest information on all arriving ships, ship tours, new ID requirements, bridge lifts, and how to transit through the waterside security zone while the ships are here in Portland. The US Navy will announce which ships are coming and Seawall Maps of the location of the ships will be presented. Agency representatives will also be available after the brief for interviews and to answer additional questions.
Representatives presenting:
- Rear Admiral Mark B. Sucato / Commander, Navy Region Northwest
- Captain Justin Noggle / Sector Commander, Coast Guard Sector Columbia River
- Colonel Larry “Dale” Caswell / Commander and District Engineer of the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
For questions about this event or other Fleet Week activities contact:
Sean Whalen, Portland Fire & Rescue Harbor Master
sean.whalen@portlandoregon.gov
503-209-8109
PF&R Hosts Annual Ceremony Of Honor (Photo)
-05/21/25
PF&R Hosts Annual Ceremony of Honor
Portland Fire & Rescue hosted its annual Ceremony of Honor tonight at the Airport Sheraton, in which members of PF&R, along with members of PBOT, PPB, PP&R and the general public, were recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty during emergency incidents over the past year.
Along with recognizing individuals for their efforts on emergency incidents, members of PF&R were recognized in 4 different categories with the annual “Of the Year” awards. Firefighter of the Year was awarded to FF Travis Chipman; the Thomas Gavin Safe Driver of the Year was awarded to FF Tim Spring; Medical Provider of the Year was awarded to FFE Micah Fullerton; and Non-Sworn PF&R Member of the Year was awarded to Jake Sigler.
Attached are photos of these sworn members, along with a link to the program which allows you to view all the awards that were presented. The link to the program and certificates associated with all the award language can be found here - 2025 Ceremony of Honor Awards | Portland.gov. (www.portland.gov/fire/2025-coh-awards)
A few examples of these awards: Members of the Parks and Police Bureaus were recognized for their efforts on emergency scenes; A member of PBOT was recognized for ensuring a house that was on fire was safely evacuated prior our arrival; Members of the public were recognized for taking great risks to ensure lives were saved at several emergency incidents; and an off-duty PF&R member was recognized for his life-saving efforts at a fire while “off the clock.”
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