PORTLAND, Ore. — An unattended candle ignited a house fire in Southeast Portland that caused minor burns to one of the occupants Wednesday morning, according to Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R).
A fire crew arrived to heavy flames coming from both floors of the home on Southeast 84th Avenue near Southeast Duke Street shortly after 11:15 a.m. Firefighters were told that multiple people lived at the home, but that everyone got out.
They completed a search of the home to verify that no one else was inside as they put out the flames.
"Crews were able to attack the fire quickly but it took a little longer to completely extinguish this as the fire did get into void spaces in the second-floor cockloft and roof area," PF&R said in a news release.
One resident in their 50s had burns on their hand, PF&R said, but they were treated at the scene and refused to be taken to a hospital by ambulance. No other injuries were reported.
Fire investigators later learned that the house did not have power, and the residents were using candles to keep warm. They said an unattended candle caused the house to burn.
Candles cause thousands of fires each year, PR&R said. The agency is reminding the public to never leave burning candles unattended.
One week earlier, PF&R responded to a house fire in Northeast Portland in which one man died and a woman was badly injured. The cause of that fire was not immediately released.
