A fire destroyed a building in Northeast Portland, and officials believe fireworks may have been to blame. The abandoned duplex caught fire in the Lloyd District on Northeast Halsey Street shortly after midnight, according to Portland Fire & Rescue.
Crews responded to the scene, but the structure had already been destroyed. Witnesses informed firefighters that people were seen throwing fireworks into the building just prior to the blaze.
This is not the first time the structure has experienced a fire. In April, Portland Fire & Rescue responded to the same duplex where passersby reported seeing smoke pouring out and “residents” fleeing the abandoned building.
Do you know that the Gresham Police Department arrested a 19-year-old man on Tuesday for allegedly pursuing and firing at another driver’s vehicle late last month? On June 25, shortly after midnight, a dispute ensued over which motorist should have yielded in the East Burnside Street McDonald’s drive-through line:
Rick Graves from PF&R stated at the time of the fire that the residence had been the subject of numerous calls and that personnel were familiar with the location.
Graves said –
βWe have a lot of experience with this particular home.β
βA report on the way here from one of the responding officers was there was heavy cluttered conditions, unsanitary human waste and trash throughout the entire structure.β
At that time, the residence was boarded up, but the boards were removed to make fighting the fire inside easier.
Graves said –
βMany of the people that responded today have been here before and have intimate knowledge of the inside of the structure based on previous incidents.β
The building was given back to the owner after the April fire.
