The Oregonian file photo

Fire is unpredictable. Given the right combination of flammable material and oxygen -- and if it's not extinguished in its early stage -- it can destroy a building in a short period of time.

And when fires break out in businesses and homes, it can be deadly for both the people who live or work there, as well as the firefighters who put their lives at risk to bring a fierce blaze under control.

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Dave Killen, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Here's a look at some of the most-catastrophic building fires that have occurred in Portland over the decades, along with a tribute to the men and women who battle the fires.

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The Oregonian file photo

Remembering the fallen

Members of Portland Fire Bureau stand in silence as a prayer is given during Annual Campbell Memorial Service in 1983. The commemoration honors firefighters who have died in line of duty, and the monument is named after Fire Chief David Campbell, who died in 1911 while helping firefighters out of burning building.

Over the years, many firefighters have died while on duty, or from injuries sustained in doing their job. The David Campbell Memorial is meant to honor their memory and legacy.

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Allan J. de Lay, The Oregonian

In 1953, Portland firemen poured water on leaping flames at Northwest Candles Inc., a candle factory that was located in the 700 block of North Page Street. Paraffin wax accelerated the fire. The two-alarm fire caused more than $165,000 in damage, and also caused heavy damage to an adjacent bakery.

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Allan J. de Lay, The Oregonian

In 1954, more than 300 firefighters responded to a massive warehouse fire in the industrial Eastside at Southeast Yamhill Street. The fire took more than three hours to put out. The fire was set by Richard Ray Kidd, a 20-year-old shipping clerk who confessed to setting several other fires.

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Allan J. de Lay, The Oregonian

In 1954, more than 300 firefighters responded to a massive warehouse fire in the industrial Eastside at Southeast Yamhill Street. The fire took more than three hours to put out.

The fire was set by Richard Ray Kidd, a 20-year-old shipping clerk who confessed to setting several other fires.

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Kirk Braun, The Oregonian

In 1954, an arsonist started a fire that engulfed Western Door and Plywood's retail outlet at Southwest Second Avenue and Taylor Street in the heart of downtown Portland. The three-alarm blaze required more than 150 firefighters to extinguish.

Before the fire was brought under control, a second arson fire started at a machinery building a few blocks down Second at Southwest Stark Street.

The fire at the plywood outlet was particularly dangerous, because it nearly spread to a paint company across the street, which was loaded with highly flammable oil-based paints.

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Allan J. de Lay, The Oregonian

In 1955, firefighters used aerial ladders to pour water on a early morning fire that broke out at the Lind Hotel. Five people died in the fire, five more were hospitalized with severe burns, and 13 firefighters were injured or overcome by smoke during the three-hour, three-alarm battle to bring the fire under control.

The destroyed building was later leveled and a surface parking lot is on the site today.

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Chuck Von Wald, The Oregonian

In the 1950s and '60s, Portland's waterfront featured many shipping businesses, and in 1960, an early morning fire gutted a grain storage building at Globe Dock and Elevator, which was located just north of the Steel Bridge on the east side of the Willamette River. Fire boats helped bring the blaze under control.

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Robert Bach, The Oregonian

In 1964, a massive fire destroyed the giant Forestry Building, which was located in Northwest Portland near Montgomery Park at Northwest 28th Avenue and Upshur Street.

The building, which was billed as the "world's largest cabin," was built as part of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, and was built almost entirely of newly cut logs. After the fair closed, many of its buildings were dismantled or relocated, but the Forestry Building was donated to the city, and continued to be used as a forestry museum (a precursor to the current World Forestry Museum in Washington Park).

The five-alarm fire that leveled the building injured two firefighters and forced the evacuation of homes within a 10-block radius, and falling embers caused numerous rooftop fires.

According to The Oregonian, fist-sized chunks of burning materials rained down on houses, and homeowners used garden hoses to extinguish burning shingles.

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The Oregonian file photo

Stored lumber fed the flames on a 1964 fire that destroyed North Portland's Tempo Furniture Corp. Flames burst more than 100 feet into the air, and the heat from the fire was so intense that it peeled the paint off of firefighters' helmets and cracked the windshield of one fire truck.

The fire destroyed the plant, causing more than $250,000 in damage, and putting about 100 employees out of work.

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The Oregonian file photo

In 1966, hot oil burst into flames and caused an explosion at the Leatherman Oil Co. on North Argyle Street, killing one employee. The business held numerous drums of reclaimed crankcase oil, which kept the fire burning for several hours.

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Robert Bach, The Oregonian

In 1968, a massive fire engulfed Northeast Portland's Gill Bros. Seed Co. plant. The company, which was located at Northeast 99th Avenue and Halsey Street, featured a wooden building that burned to the ground despite the efforts of 100 firefights. At one point, flames shot more than 200 feet into the air.

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The Oregonian file photo

In 1975, a four-alarm fire engulfed the Pomona Hotel in Portland's Old Town on Northwest Second Avenue. The gasoline-fed arson fire killed eight men who lived at the residential hotel. Four firefighters also were treated for injuries.

In the wake of the fire, it was discovered that there were no fire doors on the hotel's third floor, where all of the fatalities occurred. That caused the fire to burn so hot that it would have caused instant death from breathing in the air, a fire inspector told The Oregonian.

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Dale Swanson, The Oregonian

In 1976, fire engulfed an equipment building at Oregon Steel Mills in the 5200 block of Northwest Naito Parkway (then called Front Avenue). There were no injuries reported in the two-alarm blaze.

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David Falconer, The Oregonian

In 1977, firefighters failed to save a vacant building of a nursing home located in the 10400 block of Southeast Foster Road. One person suffered from smoke inhalation during the $35,000 blaze.

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Bob Ellis, The Oregonian

In 1977, an arson fire destroyed Beardsley Auto Parts in Multnomah Village. The business, which was located in the 7800 block of Southwest Capital Highway. The shop was one of the neighborhood's oldest businesses. An Umpqua Bank is located where the shop used to be.

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The Oregonian file photo

Kitchens are the source of many residential fires. That's where this 1978 fire began at a house in the 2900 block of Northwest Quimby Street, which took firefighters more than an hour to bring under control. The fire did $175,000 damage to house.

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Tim Jewett, The Oregonian

In 1980, fire engulfed Old Town/Chinatown's Hung Far Low Restaurant. The Chinese restaurant, which was one of Portland's oldest restaurants at the time, was closed at the time, and no injuries were reported. But the three-alarm fire sent smoke wafting across downtown.

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Randy Wood

In 1980, a four-alarm fire broke out at downtown Portland's Arthur Murray Dance Studio. The building, which was located in the 700 block of Southwest 11th Avenue, included a massive ballroom as well as smaller dance studios.

The building was later demolished to make way for the downtown turn-around for TriMet's original MAX line.

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Joel Davis, The Oregonian

In 1984, Portland firefighters faced a major three-alarm fire that gutted the building housing the Northwest Hotel Supply Company in the 400 block of Northwest Ninth Avenue. No injuries were reported.

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Dale Swanson, The Oregonian

In 1985, Portland firefighters responded to a four-alarm blaze that destroyed landmark Van Duyn candy factory in the 700 block of Northeast Broadway. The fire looked suspicious, and federal investigators later determined that arson was involved.

It was later uncovered that the chocolate company was deeply in debt, and had significantly increased its insurance coverage five months before the fire, resulting in more than $3 million in fraudulent payments, much of which was used to settle debts with Seattle organized crime figures.

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Bill Murphy, The Oregonian

In 1986, firefighters responded to a two-alarm blaze that destroyed most of the interior of Geneva's Cocktail Lounge & Restaurant, a popular Portland nightspot on North Williams Avenue.

The club, which opened in 1968, was one of the few nightclubs owned by African Americans. The building has since been demolished, and replaced by multi-story apartments.

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The Oregonian file photo

Residential fires are particularly challenging, because they can spread to nearby structures, and smoke can damage adjacent homes. That's exactly what happened in 1986, when a fire on the roof of a house in the 2000 block of Northwest Johnson Street damaged houses on either side. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

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Kraig Scattarella, The Oregonian

In 1987, Portland firefighters responded to a three-alarm blaze at Southwest Portland's Wildwood Apartments building. The fire displaced 18 residents, most of them elderly.

"My God, everything I have is gone,'' said 65-year-old Vivian Burns, clutching her bathrobe. "I was in bed when I heard the smoke alarms go off, and I heard someone in the hallway yelling for everyone to get out. I got up, put my robe on and opened the door to see what was going on. There were flames in the hallway. Flames everywhere. I thought, 'My God, how am I going to get out?'

"I ran to the kitchen and kicked out a window. I started screaming for help. These two men were watching from the street, and they came over and helped me climb out the window.''

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Joel Davis, The Oregonian

Firefighters pour water on a Southeast Portland St. Vincent de Paul store that burned in 1988. The second-hand store, which was located on Southeast 28th Avenue, was rendered a total loss.

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The Oregonian file photo

In 1989, fire engulfed the historic Northwest Portland Victorian mansion that's home to the Alano Club. One firefighter said the blaze that consumed the front of the addiction recovery center was "just like a Hollywood fire." It caused $250,000 damage to the building and its contents.

The Alano Club restored the building, which continues to operate today.

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Joel Davis, The Oregonian

In 1989, an explosion and fire at Fuel Processor Inc. in North Portland occurred when fuel vapors were inadvertently ignited. The two-alarm fire sent flames shooting 60 feet into the air, shook nearby buildings, and set a nearby fuel truck on fire. One employee suffered minor facial burns.

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The Associated Press

In 1989, firefighters battled a three-alarm fire in Portland's Old Town. The fire gutted four businesses, including one that had been damaged by arson a month before.

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Joel Davis, The Oregonian

Business fires always produce strong-smelling smoke, but in 1990, Portland firefighters battled a particularly stinky two-alarm fire at the Darling Delaware Meat Rendering Plant, formerly known as Portland Rendering Co., in North Portland.

Neighbors of the rendering plant had long complained about noxious odors coming from the plant, where animal remains were ground, cooked and pressed to extract oils and solids used in animal feed. But the fire produced pungent smoke that could be smelled miles away.

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Rick Herman

Sometimes building fires result in dramatic photos, but end up not causing catastrophic damage. That was the case with this fire on New Year's Day in 1991, when 44 firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at the Portland Water Bureau building in the 6300 block of Southeast Division Street. The fire was contained after 30 minutes, and damage was estimated at $50,000.

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Gordon Allen

In 1992, a four-alarm fire destroyed the Hafner Equipment Co., located in the 8300 block of Northeast Halsey Street. The fire gutted part of the building that houses a forklift repair and parts business. Winds threatened to spread the fire to an adjacent motel, causing firefighters to call for additional help and equipment to bring the fire under control.

Firefighters were stretched particularly thin that day, when a second fire broke out in another part of town before the Hafner fire was under control.

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Patrick Sullivan, The Oregonian/OregonLive

In 2002, an abandoned produce warehouse in Southeast Portland caught fire. The four-alarm blaze damaged adjacent buildings, and the warehouse was declared a total loss.

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Doug Beghtel, The Oregonian/OregonLive

In 2008, Portland firefighters battled a three-alarm Northeast Portland fire that was caused when a large pile of roofing materials caught fire and spread to a nearby warehouse.

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Portland Fire Bureau photo

In 2016, Portland fire crews battled a four-alarm fire at Northeast Portland dry-dock boat warehouse fire at Sundance Marina on Hayden Island. The warehouse contained 350 boats. They used aerial trucks to send water into the structure from above, and fireboats were dispatched because of the area's limited number of fire hydrants.

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Beth Nakamura, The Oregonian/OregonLive

In October, 2016, a construction project on Northwest 23rd Avenue caused a ruptured gas line, resulting in a massive explosion that destroyed several buildings and caused several injuries, but remarkably no deaths. The explosion shattered hundreds of windows in nearby apartments, businesses and homes. The buildings that were destroyed are still being rebuilt.

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Dave Killen, The Oregonian/OregonLive

In early 2018, a fire in a Northeast Portland auto salvage yard spread quickly, sending massive plumes of dark smoke over the city. The fire, which started at Northeast 75th Avenue and Killingsworth Street, spread to a nearby apartment building and duplex, destroying at least eight units.

No people were injured, but 16 cats and other pets were killed.

The five-alarm fire prompted the evacuation of as many as 4,000 nearby residents out of concern for unhealthy particles and hazardous materials in the air from the fire, including asbestos, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.

-- Grant Butler

gbutler@oregonian.com

503-221-8566; @grantbutler

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