Portland Fire & Rescue
01/03/2025 | Press release | Archived content
PF&R Responds To Residential Fire Overnight. (Photo)
January 03, 2025 02:20
PF&R responds to residential fire overnight.
At 11:14 PM Portland Fire & Rescue was dispatched to reports of a vehicle crashing into a home and causing the home to catch fire in the Sullivans Gulch Neighborhood. This former single-family home had been converted into a 4-Plex with occupants on all three levels of the home.
Crews arrived at a home where a vehicle failed to navigate the northbound turn from eastbound Weidler at NE 24th to connect to NE Broadway and continue eastbound. This vehicle stuck the front of a 2 ½ story home with a basement and arriving crews reported heavy fire present. The fire completely covered the entire address side of the home with the initial responding command officer believing the fire was already throughout the structure. The officer of a different rig radioed that there was only heavy fire at the front side of the home and much of the home was unaffected by the fire at the time of arrival. Crews quickly went to work establishing a water supply and began an offensive fire attack, knocking down the flames on the front side from the exterior while pulling hose lines to the interior from the back side of the structure.
It was discovered shortly after arrival the vehicle involved in the crash severed the gas meter causing a natural gas fueled fire which gave the appearance of the entire structure on fire. The severed gas meter fed the fire and gave the appearance of a completely involved structure when the main body of fire was the consumption of the flowing gas by the flames. Once this severed gas meter was confirmed on scene the command officer requested a response from NW Natural to eliminate the gas flow to this feeder line into the home. Fortunately for the structure, the vehicle was resting over the top of the ruptured gas line and was deflecting the active flames from hitting the home directly, significantly reducing the risk of fire extending from the location of the vehicle and the home.
Very little structural damage was reported as crews were noted low heat and moderate smoke on the interior of the 3000 square foot structure but no active fire on the interior of the house. The main support beam on the front porch was eventually compromised because of the extended fire activity leading command to restrict any ingress and egress from the front side of the structure and all traffic to the interior was directed to the backside of the structure.
With the fire fueled by a constant flow of natural gas, the crews focused on cooling the structure and minimizing any extension of fire into the building. Hose lines were focused on reducing any damage from the deflected flames onto the structure along with placing hose lines on the interior in the event the fire extending into the main body of the hose.
NW Natural can often respond to a situation where a gas meter has been severed and locate a street valve that can stop the flow of gas in a line that eliminates the flow and reduces the fire. Unfortunately, in this case, NW Natural reported that there were no available street valves that could be closed to stop the flow of gas to this structure and an alternative solution would need to be employed, which could include requesting an excavator to the incident to dig into the street to allow access to the line to then be clamped, halting the flow of gas that is feeding the fire.
The command officer directed the heavy rescue on scene to attach to the vehicle with the cable winch and pull the vehicle away from the scene which allowed better access to the ruptured gas line. This also removed the deflection of the flames by the vehicle, so crews were now faced with a 10' flame impinging on the overhang of the front porch on the entry side of the structure. Crews focused 2 handlines on this impingement point preventing the fire from extending into the structure.
Portland Fire members of the Land Based Marine Fire specialty team on scene suggested using handheld hose lines to provide a safety area to work behind active fire to allow safe access to the underground feeder line. These fire hose nozzles are set to a stream that looks like a cone and their overlap provides a safe place to work behind, in this cone of safety. Crews advanced the two hoses to the location of the fire with members of PFR, having been trained on the clamping device by NW Natural on scene, successfully clamping the gas line and eliminating the flow of gas that was feeding this fire. NW Natural personnel evaluated the area of the ruptured gas line with their high-powered handheld gas monitors and determined the clamping of the line successful and all fire threat was removed.
Crews removed a house pet early in the incident and provided on scene medical assistance until animal specialists could be contacted. No other injuries were reported. There are an unknown number of residents due to holiday travel that will be displaced because of this incident. Red Cross is working the single resident present to assist in lodging.
Portland Fire & Rescue would like to thank NW Natural, Portland Police Bureau, and BOEC for their assistance in this incident.
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