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Too many extension cords cause Portland house fire

Portland Fire & Rescue reminds that extension cords are for temporary use only.
Credit: thinkstock.com

PORTLAND, Ore. -- An early morning house fire in northeast Portland was caused by an excessive use of extension cords inside the home.

The fire happened at 12:05 a.m. in the 1100 block of Northeast Roselawn Street on Sunday.

Officials say the fire was difficult to contain because of a large amount of items stored in an attic space. The fire was caused by the use of extension cords powering multiple space heaters throughout the home.

The cords were overloaded, officials say, and heated up enough to ignite combustible items inside the home.

Nobody was home at the time of the fire. There were no injuries.

Portland Fire & Rescue reminds that extension cords should be used only for temporary use, such as for power tools, irons, toasters, etc. Power strips with built-in breakers can stop power surges. In addition, space heaters should always be placed at least three feet from any combustible materials.

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