Around 5:52 a.m. on July 11th, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) received notice of an apartment fire at the Vandalay Arms Apartments. The 19-unit complex at 10405 E Burnside Street sits next to a recently completed multifamily building, prompting a significant four-alarm firefighter response to control the blaze and prevent its spread to other adjacent structures. Around 7 a.m., PF&R crews began to disband, reopening E Burnside Street to some transit and vehicle traffic that had been blocked by responding emergency service vehicles and firefighting apparatus. Most residents made it out of the building unharmed, but early reports say that PF&R rescued two people from the building who needed transport to a hospital for the treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The owners of the apartment building that burned in the early Friday morning fire were in the process of selling the 1997-era property, which had an asking price of $2,375,000. A significant number of units were damaged in the fire, resulting in the displacement of residents. Fire officials stated that one of the two buildings on the property is likely a complete loss. KGW reports that officials have detained one person as part of the investigation into the fire.
TriMet halted MAX Blue line service and rerouted some buses temporarily near 102nd Avenue due to road closures. Drivers needed to find detours around the area where firefighters were responding. However, the quick response of PF&R crews quickly extinguished the fire, and most of the roadway has reopened for the morning commute. The residents of Vandalay Arms Apartments, many of whom will need to find new housing, face numerous challenges ahead as they deal with the aftermath of this fire.
