A Portland man says he just happened to be at the right place, at the right time Wednesday evening to save an Oregon City woman from a fire in her home and extinguish the flames before crews arrived.

Michael Taeu, 31, was near the 400 block of Telford Road at about 6 p.m., canvassing for Brent Barton, a Democratic candidate for state House, when he saw smoke in the air. He went to investigate, heard a fire alarm coming from a two-story home and saw smoke billowing out of the first and second floors.

Taeu said the door was open, so he called out to see if anyone was home and heard a woman yell for help. He went into the smoke-filled home and discovered the woman on the second floor.

"I couldn't see her when I got upstairs because of all the smoke," said Taeu, who works with the Oregon branch of Working America. "So I asked her to call out to me a few times and was able to find her."

Flames had burned a couch, bird cage and some rugs, he said. The woman told him there was a garden hose on the balcony and that she remained in the home to find her bird, who was missing.

"At one point I had to tell her, 'you've got to forget about that bird and get out of this house,'" Taeu said.

He escorted her to the stairs and she left the home. Taeu then grabbed the hose, stayed on the balcony so he could see into the home and put out the flames. He recorded it on his cell phone.

The couch was still smoldering by the time Clackamas Fire District 1 crews arrived, said agency spokesman Brandon Paxton, but the fire was extinguished with most of the damage contained to the second floor.

The unidentified woman was taken to a hospital in the area for smoke inhalation, Paxton said. The fire is believed to have started from the couch, but the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

"I know that woman is grateful for what he did," said Paxton. "It was definitely a courageous and selfless act."

Taeu, originally from Hawaii, said he was just glad he could help. His boss gave him the rest of the night off from canvassing.

"I was raised to take the initiative to help people when you can," he said. "The opportunity presented itself in this case. But I'd like to think if the tables were turned and I was in trouble, someone would help me."

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