Latest news with #PortlandFire&Rescue
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
PF&R investigating ‘suspicious' Powellhurst-Gilbert apartment fire
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Portland Fire & Rescue is investigating after a 'suspicious' fire at an apartment building in the Powellhurst-Gilber Neighborhood early Sunday morning. Just before 6 a.m., PF&R responded to a reported residential fire near the intersection of Southeast 118th and Holgate, where the Bureau of Emergency Communication indicated that fire and smoke was seen from a recently vacated apartment. On the scene, crews saw the blaze on the first and second level of an apartment with smoke pushing through the garage and on the eave line. Sheriff wants to charge for rescues of 'negligent, reckless' hikers in Skamania County Crews were able to quickly suppress the fire and said all occupants made it out of the building. According to PF&R, there were no reported injuries and neighboring apartment units were unaffected. Officials said there were reports of a suspicious person on the property who was quickly arrested by police and has since been released from police custody. Portland's 10 best burger joints of 2025, according to Yelp 'After conducting their scene examination, collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses and the deploying our Arson K9, fire investigators believe this fire was intentionally set,' PF&R said. Investigators are asking community members for help identifying any suspicious behavior before the fire. Anyone who saw anything suspicious while traveling along SE Holgate between 5:30 a.m. and 5:50 a.m. Sunday morning is asked to contact Portland Fire & Rescue. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Portland Fire & Rescue: Illegal burning letters are a fraud
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — If you get a letter from Portland Fire & Rescue about illegal burning on your property, it's a fraud. That's what officials with Portland Fire & Rescue said Tuesday about the letters some city residents have received. Not only are the letters fake, officials said, the 800 phone number listed in the letter 'directs recipients to an adult content phone line.' Van with damaged bumpers, taped window sought in possible SE Portland abduction There are a number of ways to know this is fake. The logo on the envelope and the letterhead are not the same as the official PFR letterhead. The ordinance cited in the letter — which threatens fines of $1500 or 'involuntary' property forfeiture — has nothing to do with illegal burning or forfeiting property. The signature is not from Interim Chief AJ Jackson. And then there's that 800 number. In a statement, PFR officials said: 'Portland Fire & Rescue has not sent out these letters claiming you must contact a toll-free phone number or pay a fee that must be mailed to PF&R, nor has PF&R threatened any property owners with 'involuntary' property forfeiture. PF&R would like to remind Portlanders to never provide any financial information over the phone or by mail to an unknown or unverified source.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Portland agencies to remove returned payment fees after investigation dinged water bureau
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Months after a report determined the Portland Water Bureau was overcharging customers, multiple city agencies have decided they will stop charging returned payment fees. On Wednesday, the that PWB, Portland Fire & Rescue and the transportation department will no longer impose these fees in the upcoming fiscal year. The Revenue Division has already removed them. This PNW city among the happiest in the world, new report says The announcement follows the , which was prompted by a water bureau customer who claimed they were wrongly charged a $35 fee when their bank merged with another company. 'Normally, I would accept a small fee because I could not stay on top of my bills or accounts,' Kerry Rasmussen, the original complainant, said in a statement. 'But $35 seems absolutely criminal from a public entity where customers have no choice in provider.'cSeveral city agencies impose the fee when customers have insufficient funds in their account as a payment processes. However, investigators found that PWB loses nearly three times the amount of money it gains from the fees. Oregon lawmakers, medical workers rally in Portland to 'save Medicaid' According to the report, banks charge the water bureau about $16 for each returned payment — which added up to a total of $112,496.25 in 2023. The agency recovered just $40,075 through the fees. Investigators also found that PWB increased this fee from $25 to $35 in July 2008, although Oregon law didn't permit that amount until July 2012. The bureau has since been advised to notify the impacted customers that they're entitled to a $10 refund. But the recent update from the ombudsman focuses on the 'inequitable impact' of the fees. Investigators that the extra costs are 'ineffective deterrents' for customers who may be struggling financially. 2020 Santiam Canyon fire not caused by downed power lines, ODF says Additionally, about 86% of the households that were repeatedly hit with the fees reported difficulty paying at least one of their bills throughout the year. The report also cited data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which determined that lower-income, Black and Latino communities are more likely to see these fees. 'The practice of charging returned payment fees was out of step with the City's equity goals and an ineffective use of public resources,' Deputy Ombudsman Andy Stevens said in a statement. 'Removing them across the board is a step in the right direction and aligns with City values of anti-racism, equity and fiscal responsibility.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Portland firefighters called to remove titanium smart ring from woman's finger
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland Fire & Rescue firefighters were called to perform an emergency ring removal on Feb. 15 after a woman's finger swelled up around an Oura smart ring that was too tough to remove with basic tools. Four cats taken to Portland animal hospital with suspected bird flu A special firefighter crew was called to an urgent care center in East Portland around noon Saturday after hospital staff and an initial firefighter crew that responded to the emergency were unable to remove the ring, Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves told KOIN. 'The initial 911 call was taken by a truck company near the Lloyd Center, but it turned out their equipment wasn't robust enough to address this incident,' Graves said. 'So one of the heavy rescues in the city responded to assist.' The ring's titanium shell and electronic circuitry were too tough to cut with a spinning ring-cutter, PF&R said. The unique job required a diamond-tipped blade only carried by two PF&R crews. 'The outer shell of titanium and inner componentry were far too much for a traditional hand spinning ring-cutter,' PF&R shared on social media. '[Firefighters used] a diamond-tipped blade on a handheld rotary tool along with some modified silverware to act as a protective shield and a little water to keep everything cooled off.' Could Portland see more February snow? It's unclear what caused the woman's hand to swell around the smart ring. PF&R firefighters successfully removed the ring with the diamond-tipped equipment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
