07-05-2011, 06:35 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-05-2011, 06:36 PM by PonderThis. Edited 1 time in total.)
Future Republicans of America, no doubt. 
Fireworks-related blazes damage businesses, destroy homes, ruin jobs throughout Portland area
Excerpt: "Nobody knows the exact cost of the smoldering bottle rocket that burned through the roof of the Alberta Central building in Northeast Portland Monday night.
Maybe a dime, maybe a quarter.
But fire officials say the resulting two-alarm blaze damaged a coffee shop and restaurant to the tune of $100,000, and harmed four other businesses in the same building.
It was one of more than 60 fires that Portland crews responded to Monday night, at least 25 of which were sparked by people celebrating Independence Day with illegal fireworks. In Washington County, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue responded to at least 14 fires; about 10 such blazes were reported in Clark County, Washington; and at least one fireworks-related blaze took place in Clackamas County.
Among the worst was a fire at a home on Southwest Crater Loop Road in Beaverton. A blaze that officials say was most probably caused by fireworks there did $150,000 in damage and burned out a family of four -- though the family hamster was found unscathed in the rubble. In Portland, a house partitioned into four separate dwellings at 1758 S.E. 112th Avenue, was destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning. The cause remains under investigation, but it too, could be blamed on fireworks.
But the fire at Alberta Central did more than ruin a building. It also put people out of work.
Sarah Pliner, co-chef of the up-and-coming Aviary restaurant inside the remodeled building, said the impact on 15 employees could last a month or more. On Tuesday, above the din of clean-up efforts, Pliner sat and crunched numbers on a small calculator.
"It's terrible," Pliner said of the fire, which damaged the restaurant's ventilation system on the roof and gas lines that fuel the stoves. "There's no good time for this to happen to your business, but for us it's extra bonus painful."
Pliner said the restaurant opened just five months ago, and word of mouth and good reviews were promising a good long run in one of Portland's hippest neighborhoods.
"We had a really great June and we're looking forward to a really great July. Now we're not going to have a July."
Upstairs at Instrument,a digital design and advertising agency that employs 30 people, partner and creative director JD Hooge, said he started getting texts and phone calls about the fire just after 10 p.m.
When he arrived, Hooge said, he was greeted by "a lot of chaos."
"Firefighters on the roof with sledgehammers, axes, a ladder in the courtyard. I could see water pouring down from the ceiling light fixtures. We were worried that the sprinklers went off, but they hadn't, but water from the hoses seeped through the melted ceiling. We had quite a bit of water damage..."
Hooge said most of the employees use laptops for everyday work, and most had them with them at home when the fire broke out. On Tuesday, the work space furniture was covered with plastic tarps. Workers for Kennedy Restoration tore away at damaged dry wall and wood, all of which had to be removed, bagged and taken to a waiting truck.
"We're the lucky ones, really. We're going to suffer from the inconvenience of having to move out and figure out a temporary solution for 30 employees," Hooge said. "That's the worst of it."
Every year it's the same, said Paul Corah, a spokesman for the Portland Fire Bureau: Oregonians cross over into Washington to buy fireworks that shoot flaming balls or fly, the kind banned in Oregon.
Inevitably, some of those flaming skyrockets spark devastating fire. And each year, fire departments like Portland's hire extra inspectors, add extra crews and dust off brush rigs to battle the blazes. And taxpayers foot the bill.
"We had kind of wild night," Corah said. "It was like World War III out there. It just seemed like there were a lot more people out because of the nice weather, and the risk was higher because it's been so dry."
Brian Barker, spokesman for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, said that except for the major house fire at 11750 S.W. Crater Loop, most of Monday night's blazes were them on back decks, in bushes or in barkdust.
Corah said the numbers on how many people were cited and fined by police and fire inspectors won't be available until July 7, when most people's arsenals of mortars, screaming rockets and fire-gushing pillars have been expended. Fire officials in Portland did seize a trailer full of illegal fireworks, but admit it's a tiny percentage of what went up in smoke Monday night.
"We want everyone to be safe, but it's frustrating," he said. "Is it going to take a death to change it? We can't keep sitting with our hands in our laps."
Fireworks-related blazes damage businesses, destroy homes, ruin jobs throughout Portland area
Excerpt: "Nobody knows the exact cost of the smoldering bottle rocket that burned through the roof of the Alberta Central building in Northeast Portland Monday night.
Maybe a dime, maybe a quarter.
But fire officials say the resulting two-alarm blaze damaged a coffee shop and restaurant to the tune of $100,000, and harmed four other businesses in the same building.
It was one of more than 60 fires that Portland crews responded to Monday night, at least 25 of which were sparked by people celebrating Independence Day with illegal fireworks. In Washington County, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue responded to at least 14 fires; about 10 such blazes were reported in Clark County, Washington; and at least one fireworks-related blaze took place in Clackamas County.
Among the worst was a fire at a home on Southwest Crater Loop Road in Beaverton. A blaze that officials say was most probably caused by fireworks there did $150,000 in damage and burned out a family of four -- though the family hamster was found unscathed in the rubble. In Portland, a house partitioned into four separate dwellings at 1758 S.E. 112th Avenue, was destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning. The cause remains under investigation, but it too, could be blamed on fireworks.
But the fire at Alberta Central did more than ruin a building. It also put people out of work.
Sarah Pliner, co-chef of the up-and-coming Aviary restaurant inside the remodeled building, said the impact on 15 employees could last a month or more. On Tuesday, above the din of clean-up efforts, Pliner sat and crunched numbers on a small calculator.
"It's terrible," Pliner said of the fire, which damaged the restaurant's ventilation system on the roof and gas lines that fuel the stoves. "There's no good time for this to happen to your business, but for us it's extra bonus painful."
Pliner said the restaurant opened just five months ago, and word of mouth and good reviews were promising a good long run in one of Portland's hippest neighborhoods.
"We had a really great June and we're looking forward to a really great July. Now we're not going to have a July."
Upstairs at Instrument,a digital design and advertising agency that employs 30 people, partner and creative director JD Hooge, said he started getting texts and phone calls about the fire just after 10 p.m.
When he arrived, Hooge said, he was greeted by "a lot of chaos."
"Firefighters on the roof with sledgehammers, axes, a ladder in the courtyard. I could see water pouring down from the ceiling light fixtures. We were worried that the sprinklers went off, but they hadn't, but water from the hoses seeped through the melted ceiling. We had quite a bit of water damage..."
Hooge said most of the employees use laptops for everyday work, and most had them with them at home when the fire broke out. On Tuesday, the work space furniture was covered with plastic tarps. Workers for Kennedy Restoration tore away at damaged dry wall and wood, all of which had to be removed, bagged and taken to a waiting truck.
"We're the lucky ones, really. We're going to suffer from the inconvenience of having to move out and figure out a temporary solution for 30 employees," Hooge said. "That's the worst of it."
Every year it's the same, said Paul Corah, a spokesman for the Portland Fire Bureau: Oregonians cross over into Washington to buy fireworks that shoot flaming balls or fly, the kind banned in Oregon.
Inevitably, some of those flaming skyrockets spark devastating fire. And each year, fire departments like Portland's hire extra inspectors, add extra crews and dust off brush rigs to battle the blazes. And taxpayers foot the bill.
"We had kind of wild night," Corah said. "It was like World War III out there. It just seemed like there were a lot more people out because of the nice weather, and the risk was higher because it's been so dry."
Brian Barker, spokesman for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, said that except for the major house fire at 11750 S.W. Crater Loop, most of Monday night's blazes were them on back decks, in bushes or in barkdust.
Corah said the numbers on how many people were cited and fined by police and fire inspectors won't be available until July 7, when most people's arsenals of mortars, screaming rockets and fire-gushing pillars have been expended. Fire officials in Portland did seize a trailer full of illegal fireworks, but admit it's a tiny percentage of what went up in smoke Monday night.
"We want everyone to be safe, but it's frustrating," he said. "Is it going to take a death to change it? We can't keep sitting with our hands in our laps."
. I'm pretty sure that you can get some pretty wicked fireworks on the res that are illegal most other places.