Historic theater partially collapses in 3-alarm fire in NE Portland

By KPTV Staff

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    PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire at the Roseway Theater in northeast Portland on Saturday morning.

Portland Fire & Rescue said just before 6 a.m. Saturday, firefighters responded to the theater at Northeast Sandy Boulevard and Northeast 72nd Avenue. It was initially called as a two-alarm response but later upgraded to three-alarm. The first arriving firefighters saw flames coming through the roof. They forced entry and began searching for fire, but the floor began to collapse. This forced crews to move outside and fight the fire from the exterior.

Crews with PGE and NW Natural were called in to make sure utilities affected by the fire were safe. City crews responded to deal with water runoff.

PF&R said there are no injuries.

The fire is under control, but firefighters are continuing to cool hot spots. Fire investigators must wait for the scene to stabilize before they go inside in search of a cause. It is likely the investigation will take several days.

The Roseway Theater opened in 1925 and upgraded to digital projection a few years ago. It’s independently owned.

PF&R asks the public to remain vigilant as this weekend’s weather poses a significant risk for fires to start and spread quickly.

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