PORTLAND, Ore. — Residents impacted by a devastating apartment fire in Southwest Portland are finally getting their belongings back. Crews this week boxed up and returned items collected from inside the Maxwell Hall building, which sits next to the burned-out May Apartments.
On May 16, a massive fire ripped through the May Apartments at Southwest 14th and Taylor Street. Everyone survived, although damage was extensive. A resident, 30-year-old Garrett Repp, was charged in connection with the fire.
Not only were residents of the May Apartments forced out after the fire, but so were people living in the adjacent Maxwell Hall building. It was also damaged by smoke and water during the blaze.
Maxwell Hall apartment manager Ben Samford collected his belongings on Friday and loaded them into a U-Haul truck. Samford has since moved to an apartment in Northwest Portland.
“I didn’t have insurance renter’s insurance and I should have. I do now,” said Samford. “Anybody who doesn’t, I recommend you get it immediately because you never know when something like this will happen.”
At some point, the May Apartments will be demolished. The building owner hired a contractor, although as of Friday no permits have been filed, according to Ken Ray, a spokesperson with the city's Bureau of Development Services.
Southwest 14th Avenue remains blocked off in front of the May Apartments. The building is unstable and piles of debris still cover the street out front. Crews don’t want anyone to get hurt, so the roadway will likely remain closed until demolition has been completed.