PORTLAND, Ore. — A homeless encampment in Southeast Portland caused a fire at a three-story apartment building. Residents said they frequently contacted the city about issues with the campers, but saw no action.
The fire began around 9 p.m. on Saturday at an apartment on Southeast Division and 101st. Firefighters contained the blaze without injuries, but about six apartment units are now unlivable, displacing about 14 people.
Residents told KGW that the nearby encampment that started the fire was the scene of constant fights, leading them to anticipate a serious incident. Despite that, they said that they learned to coexist with their homeless neighbors camped out front.
Carla Dominguez, a resident, described the situation as "chaos, it's been a struggle."
Brian McKenzie, another resident, said they try their best to be understanding.
"Most people don't get combative or anything like that. It doesn't seem to help much. And as long as they're not really interfering with the way most of us live, we just kind of let it be," McKenzie said.
However, the encampment did interfere. Dominguez said her son's bedroom window is next to the encampment.
"I can't even have my own windows open in my own home. Because I’m worried about a homeless guy physically abusing his girlfriend and you can hear it, them yelling at each other," she said. "Then my son wakes up screaming and crying."
Dominguez said she had consistently called the city, with no progress. She said she was "more stern about it this time because I've called the cops several times and I've never seen them show up."
Just a day after her last call, a fire started at the homeless camp.
"I heard banging and by the time I realized, I opened my door and this man came in," Dominguez said. "He was like helping me grab my kid and he was like, 'You need to get out of the building because the building is on fire.'"
The fire quickly spread up the front of the building on Southeast Division and 101st, McKenzie said.
"Bit of a panicked state just to see how quick the fire was building, if everyone was aware there was a fire and making sure. My manager was making sure that people were evacuating if necessary," McKenzie said.
This has prompted a wake-up call among neighbors.
"We've got to do something because that was really close," McKenzie said. "Luckily, nobody was hurt. But I mean, that came very close to burning down an entire building. We could've lost people. You know, people's lives."
KGW spoke with apartment management. They said they are unsure how to handle the homeless encampment and have called the city numerous times. They said the issue is part of a broader citywide problem.
A young, single mom who was displaced by the fire reached out to KGW. She said her apartment sustained the most damage and is now in a condition that is beyond repair. The fire destroyed everything she owned, including many valuable possessions and irreplaceable items.
"As soon as I see my son's room, I just kind of broke down. All his memories are in there," Fardowsa Kassim said. "And all his clothes are gone, his bed is gone, all the memories. His baby pictures I have of him, all was destroyed."
A GoFundMe has been set up for community support.