Update: Southeast Portland fire Friday night destroys warehouse, damages homes

As crews worked to put out a large fire in a Southeast Portland building Friday night, residents of the surrounding homes stood on the sidewalk in the smoke and watched, some not sure what conditions their homes would be in when they were allowed to return.

More than 30 firefighters responded to the scene of a huge fire that started in a warehouse on Southeast Long Street and Southeast 28th Avenue. Crews were able to contain the three-alarm fire to the single building, but told residents of nearby homes they might return to water and smoke damage.

“I’m wondering when we’ll be able to move back in, when and if the house will be OK,” said Joe Dickinson, who lives in a home on Long Street that backs up to the burning building.

The building was reported to be on fire around 9:30 p.m. Portland Fire & Rescue spokeswoman Krista Godon said the department doesn’t believe anyone was inside the building at the time and there were no known injuries. She said it will likely take several days to determine the cause of the fire. She said there were some challenges getting water to the site, but they were resolved quickly.

“There’s still active fire inside — it’s not completely out yet," Godon said around 10:30 p.m. She said crews were trying to cut holes in the walls and spray inside, and that crews would likely be at the building for the rest of the night and part of the next day.

Godon said the owner of the building was on the scene and said no one was inside during the fire, but did not confirm who the owner was or what the building was used for.

John Roussos, who lives in one of the houses adjacent to the building that caught fire, said he was inside his home when he saw the flames.

“We were hanging out in the kitchen, and through the back window we saw flames,” he said. “It looked like it was on the other side of the fence, and then it registered that it was a fire.”

They quickly got out of the house, and Roussos said it looked like the fire had grown rapidly.

Roussos said he did not think there was any structural damage to his home, but he didn’t know the extent of smoke and water damage.

Though Dickinson said he was worried about his house, he was glad the department arrived when they did.

“They probably saved our house,” he said.

Traffic was affected in the area, closing Southeast Holgate between 26th and 32nd avenues.

—Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR

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