PORTLAND, Ore. — Depending on where people were in Portland Friday — roads were either much better, or practically the same as they were Thursday.
As drivers attempted to navigate the slick roads, emergency crews did the same — making sure they could get to scenes quickly, but as carefully as possible. No matter the conditions, it's their job to respond.
"It's just a lot more obstacles in the way to get the job done," said Battalion Chief T.J. Lehnertz, from Portland Fire & Rescue.
In Southeast Portland Friday, firefighters battled flames on the second floor of a home. PF&R reported that extinguishing the entire fire, clearing the house of smoke and making sure no one was inside took nearly 30 minutes. The Red Cross assisted the eight people displaced by the fire.
Lehnertz explained fighting fires in this weather makes things a bit tricky, from the time they leave the station, to when they arrive on scene.
"It's a lot more difficult. The streets — everybody has seen is what you have to deal with. [We have] all the rigs are chained up," he said, "The further out you get, all the additional support rigs are delayed by quite a bit. You can have potential water problems if things are frozen up. The traction and footing for firefighters deploying... you know, you have a higher chance of injuring our members, and you know, they're working, carrying ladders."
Luckily, Lehnertz said his team had no issues Friday. But in other parts of Portland, emergency crews did have some problems.
An Oregon Department of Transportation incident responder was injured while helping out on Interstate 205, near NE Airport Way. Officials reported a van driver hit ice on the freeway shoulder and rear-ended the vehicle, despite the flashing lights.
Abandoned vehicles, and drivers struggling to navigate the slick roads across the metro area, continue to be a concern.
"A large portion of our coverage does include hill, which leads to people just leaving their cars. Those do get in the way of our response," said Sam Khieu with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.
He said the goal of every agency is to get to each scene safely, and reiterated what many in Portland have heard before.
"Travel only if necessary, and try to stay indoors. Temperatures are going to drop again overnight, which will lead to another refreezing of melted snow."