Transient bolts from smoldering house on SE 63rd

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 31, 2017

Over the past several months, the home at 7405 S.E. 63rd Avenue in the Brentwood Darlington neighborhood had been a problem for the neighbors.

In September, 2016, the City of Portland responded to complaints and started case IVR Number 3865581, charging that the yard of the vacant house and street were “littered with vehicles in various states of disrepair”. More complaints followed, including an action in January.

When smoke started billowing from the now-spruced-up house, sporting a “sold” sign in the front yard — just before 7:00 a.m. on March 4 — neighbors called 9-1-1.

The Woodstock Fire Station 25’s Truck and Engine Company responded, as did Station 11’s Rescue Unit from Lents.

Apparently, the new “No Trespassing” signs prominently posted on the fence and house didn’t stop a female transient from breaking into the property.

“The woman was coughing and choking from the smoke inside the house, but ran away so fast, the paramedics couldn’t catch up to her,” a neighbor told THE BEE.

Firefighters at the scene said they extinguished the small smoky fire with hand-held “pump can”, and didn’t need to pull a hose to put out the fire.

The unauthorized lodger was last seen hot-footing it around the corner, and east on S.E. Flavel Street.

The cause of the fire and the estimate of damages haven’t been released by the Portland Fire Bureau’s Arson Squad.