Two Die In House Fire In N. Portland, Fire Officials Say

PORTLAND, OR — Portland Fire & Rescue crews responded to a house fire in North Portland near Peninsula Park Monday afternoon, where an explosion reportedly destroyed one house and caught another on fire — ultimately injuring two people.

Witnesses reportedly told news crews in the area they heard an explosion prior to the fire crumbling one of the affected homes, around 2:40 p.m. On Tuesday, fire officials confirmed an explosion destroyed one home and damaged others nearby, igniting at least one.

One person was found deceased inside one of the affected homes, and another person evacuated from the area died at hospital, fire officials said Tuesday. The American Red Cross on Tuesday said the fire ultimately affected 12 people.

KGW News provided a live look at the fire via its Facebook page:

At 3:45 p.m. Monday, fire officials said one person was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries and one firefighter is being treated for minor injuries.

Portland Fire & Rescue's Lt. Damon Simmons told the Oregonian that a gas leak in the area prevented an aggressive first response by firefighters:

Portland Fire spokesman Ron Rouse on Tuesday said fire crews faced a number of complications while combating the fire, including a damaged natural gas line, hot weather, down power lines, and multiple houses affected at the same time.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. This post will be updated when fire officials provide more information.

Photo Courtesy: Portland Fire & Rescue