Red Cross Has Busy Day Sunday

One fire displaced a 58-year old physically impaired man.

Portland Fire Fighters from Engine's 2 and 28 continue to remove smoldering material from an apartment fire in the 8100 block of NE Failing street Sunday Afternoon.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers in the Portland area had a very busy day, Sunday, when they found themselves responding to two apartment fires back to back.

Spokesman Tom Traver says the first fire called in at about 11:00 AM in the 3700 block of NE Division Street in Gresham, displaced four adults and a 2 1/2 year old child. They evacuated when a fire in one of the upstairs bedrooms of their three bedroom townhouse caught fire. Gresham fire responded quickly and was able to isolate the worst of the damage to the upstairs.area.

"I had hardly been home 20 minutes when I received a page for another fire" said Red Cross Volunteer Michael Redlin, who was on call this week from last Friday night and will remain on call until next Friday morning.

The second fire was called into the Portland Fire Bureau at about 2:30 PM Traver said, in the 8100 block of NE Failing in Portland.

"This fire displaced a 58-year old physically impaired man whose apartment suffered extensive damage and loss of personal belongings."

In both cases, the American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter is providing temporary housing at local hotels, meals and other necessities until the fire victims are able to make long term arrangements. Neither fire resulted in any injuries and the cause of both fires remain under investigation by authorities.

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Traver says Michael Redlin is just one of many Red Cross volunteers who are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to local and regional emergencies such as local fires, natural disasters and other emergencies.