An apartment fire displaced two families on Christmas Eve in outer Southeast Portland.
At 10:06 p.m. Monday, Dec. 24, firefighters from Portland Fire & Rescue responded to a report of an apartment fire at 15904 E. Burnside St. and discovered two apartments on fire one was directly over the other one said Lt. Damon Simmons, agency spokesman.
Residents of both units had gotten out safety. Firefighters extinguishing the fire, but it was challenging because the fire was burning inside walls and spread into the attic, Simmons said. On a positive note, most of the residents' belongings were saved as the majority of the damage was limited to the structure, he said.
Improper electrical wiring sparked the blaze, investigators determined. Damage is estimated at $60,000.
The fire displaced both families in the burned units. The Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross is helping to provide shelter to the families, which include three adults and one child in one unit and two adults and one infant in the other unit.