PORTLAND, Oregon — A large fire overnight destroyed Pacific Market near Northeast Broadway and Northeast 67th Avenue, according to Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R).
Just before 2 a.m., firefighters responded to the fire at a small strip mall containing Pacific Market, an Asian market, and Thai Binh Restaurant, a closed restaurant. Crews saw smoke coming from the roof and over the restaurant space, which had many of its windows boarded up with plywood.
About 20 minutes later, PF&R said there was heavy smoke pushing out of the front door and there were concerns that a wall could collapse, so all personnel were temporarily pulled away from the building.
“I got blasted with an intense wave of heat, like somebody opened a 500-degree oven right in my face,” said Tyler Plaisted, who lives next to the strip mall. “We are on the balcony, and my brother said, ‘Tyler, get over here! Look!’ And he said he saw a fireball just above the roof of our building just shoot up about 15 or 20 feet.”
PF&R say, at one point, over 60 personnel were fighting the blaze.
“I saw haze and orange, and I had a feeling it was Pacific Market,” said Jan Abich, who lives across the street from the strip mall.
Abich said she woke up to a call from PGE saying they were cutting her power. She then noticed something was off.
“The smell in my condo was very strong,” said Abich, “and I was concerned about our community here because I thought maybe it could leap.”
About eight nearby homes were evacuated over safety concerns. PF&R said 20-foot-tall flames coming from the top of the building were close to the homes. However, firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading and residents were allowed to return to their homes after 15 minutes.
Thankfully nobody was injured, but what’s left is a burnt building, with memories for those who shopped at Pacific Market.
“It’s sad in a way for owners and for us as well because we come here a lot and have memories,” said Jennifer Bollinger, who lives a block from the strip mall.
PF&R was able to get the fire under control around 4 a.m.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This is a developing story and it may be updated when more information becomes available.
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