PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Southwest Portland office building went up in flames early Wednesday morning, with “heavy fire” burning the width of the entire building, authorities said.
Just before 3:30 a.m., Portland Fire & Rescue shared on Twitter that the two-story office building, located south of Taylors Ferry Road on Southwest Barbur Boulevard, was spotted with fire showing through the roof.
Crews were quick to respond, but authorities said that overhead powerlines, as well as the distance to the nearest fire hydrant, were making progress difficult.
To get water to the building, crews said they needed to send hoses from a hydrant to the truck, and then back out to provide enough pressure to fight the fire.
Shortly after 4 a.m., fire officials said that much of the fire had been eliminated, but crews were still working to fully eliminate the blaze.
Most of the roof was burned off, fire officials said, but the scene was transitioned to a fire watch with only one crew remaining on scene to ensure the fire was fully extinguished.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but investigators are on the scene.