Firefighters faced safety challenges when flames hit an old church in downtown. But thanks to an unsafe building designation they knew what they were up against.
PORTLAND, Oregon — Unsafe buildings in Portland are a safety and challenge firefighters face. That was the case when flames raced through an old empty church in downtown. But thanks to an unsafe building designation, they had advanced warning of what they’d be up against and knew not to enter the building.
On Thursday afternoon firefighters first on scene of a big fire in downtown Portland spoke about the valiant effort they made to save the structure next to the old Korean church.
The church that burned has since been demolished and is a pile of rubble. The old church rectory turned apartment building is still standing.
It was advance information about the vacant church through an “unsafe building” designation that warned firefighters to stay out, for their safety.
“It is a multi-pronged approach to warn the first-in engines, trucks, companies the unique hazards to them fighting fire in an offensive strategy,” said Battalion Chief Tom Walsh.
Walsh was working the night of the raging church fire last week. He is also a structural engineer and coordinator of the fire bureau’s unsafe building program.
The battalion chief explained that the unsafe building designation is strictly about firefighter safety and does not necessarily indicate a building is uninhabitable or able to accommodate everyday use.
City-wide, firefighters have identified 83 facilities or businesses that in 64 buildings currently deemed unsafe for them to enter during a fire.
The church that burned was on that list.
But many on the list are not vacant, like the Barbur Court Apartments in southwest Portland. Miguel Martin lives in a newer place next door and says the people at Barbur Court are nice, but the building is not.
“It just looks bad, man. It’s cracking. It’s just getting worse and worse and nothing’s really being done about it,” said Martin.
Calls to the building owner were not returned on Thursday.
Again, the fire bureau unsafe designation is for firefighters; other city inspectors decide if buildings are so dangerous they need to be condemned.
For instance a tall, multi-story old home on Southwest Market Street is on the firefighter’s unsafe list, but it’s been operating as an apartment building for a long time.
Nearly 10 years ago a fire bureau inspector said he found conditions that would be tough for fire crews, writing “fire operations and laddering the building would be very difficult.”
Looking at the place you can see why. KGW spoke to the building owner who says they have a working fire alarm system, have regular fire inspections and crews even came up and practiced their plan there.
“They’re completely within the building code and fire code to be operated the manner that they are in. There are numerous of them that are relatively safe for day-to-day habitation and use but here are hazards to responders,” said Walsh.
Other buildings, like the long-vacant Gordon’s Fireplace store at Northeast 33rd and Broadway have the “U” sign for unsafe on the exterior– although looking at the place, it’s certainly appears to be a danger to enter.
For these and other buildings deemed unsafe, fire crews not only have orders not to enter, but specific plans on how to fight the fire effectively and safely from the outside.