Two women killed in NE Portland early-morning church fire; house next door saved
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Two women in their mid-70s were found dead in a northeast Portland church after a fire early Sunday morning.
Portland Fire & Rescue got a call shortly after 4 a.m. from a resident reporting their home was on fire and the church next door at NE Stanton and 62nd Avenue also was ablaze and had possible victims inside. The first fire crews arrived minutes later and confirmed both structures were ablaze.
Firefighters entered the church to attempt a rescue, but heavy flames meant they could not reach the stairs, so they tried to access from the exterior through a second-floor window – but with two crews inside, the roof partially collapse, so the incident commander ordered firefighters out due to extreme fire conditions.
The fire was done from the interior, with large streams of water from aerial ladders. Other crews focused on the house next door and kept the blaze from destroying that home. The family was able to safely evacuate and no injuries were reported.
Crews were able to bring the church fire under control shortly before 6 a.m. and fire investigators were called in, confirming that two women had died in the church.
Determining the fire cause could take some time, due to the stability of the structure, officials said at midday.
