An explosion inside a Southeast Portland fourplex triggered a 2-alarm fire that burned all four apartments

By Tatum Todd
oregonlive.com

PORTLAND, Ore. — A 2-alarm fire this week landed a person in the hospital and burned four apartments after an explosion went off in a fourplex in Southeast Portland’s Centennial neighborhood.

Police have identified a person of interest as they investigate the source of the fire, Portland Fire & Rescue said in a statement. No arrests have been made, and officials haven’t released any information about the kind of explosive that triggered the blast.

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The blaze started shortly before 10:20 a.m. Sunday at 1640 SE 162nd Avenue, fire spokesperson Rick Graves told The Oregonian /OregonLive in an email. The first crew arrived to find the building severely damaged and engulfed in “heavy fire” on both floors of the two-story building.

Firefighters called for a second alarm, which brought in a total of nearly 80 firefighters from Portland and Gresham, officials said.

Fire officials didn’t say how many people were inside the building at the time of the “catastrophic explosive event,” but said that emergency responders drove a victim to an area hospital after the person jumped from an elevated platform to escape the flames. The person, who officials did not publicly identify, is in stable condition, Portland Fire & Rescue said.

The Portland Police Bureau’s Fire Investigations Unit is investigating the explosion and resulting fire. It served a criminal warrant to search the building, using a drone because it was deemed unsafe to enter.

Officials added that investigators had interviewed a person of interest, but didn’t publicly identify the person and said they hadn’t made any arrests.

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