PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) – It was a terrifying night in Portland as people watched a grass fire burning in a field start to move its way towards homes.
Monday night, firefighters went door to door to get people out. But some of them won’t have a home to go back to.
Flames moved toward over a man as he tried to protect homes along Northeast Knott Street. The fire quickly burning dry shrubs that were just a few feet from a row of townhomes.
Evacuee Veyda Campos explained, “All of a sudden everything just went black.” Campos said the fire grew quickly. “The sky was covered in black smoke. It was just everywhere.”
As Portland firefighters went door to door, Christina Kjarval evacuated as well. She said, “The firemen did an evacuation and made sure no one was in these houses they kick down the doors in case nobody answers in case anyone is in there.”
Kjarval had to go back to rescue her cat.
The roof to her neighbor’s home collapsed and other homes were damaged.
Anthony Stevens helped firefighters fight the fire and spread through this dry grassy field. “We would be out there and it would not be blowing at all and then as soon as it would start blowing we would back off because the flames were very long and very hot,” Stevens said.
The Red Cross set up a disaster center at a church nearby.
No word on when folks will be able to go back home.
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