On Thursday, April 7, 2022, at 7:30 P.M., Lake Oswego Communications (LOCOM) received a 911 call about a kitchen fire at the Uptown at Lake Oswego Apartments located at 258 Evergreen Road.
Firefighters from the main fire station, located just two blocks away, arrived to find a fully involved apartment and the fire extending to other apartments and the attic. The fire was immediately upgraded to a second alarm, bringing more firefighters to the scene. One tenant was trapped in an upstairs apartment and had to be rescued by the first arriving firefighters using a ladder. Several cats from that apartment were also rescued by firefighters.
Representatives from the American Red Cross came to the scene and provided their services to a total of 22 people. Nine of these people needed assistance with shelter as the other 12 were able to find shelter with family or friends.
The complex consists of 22 total apartments, 14 of these were affected by the fire. Seven of those apartments have major damage from smoke, fire, and water from firefighting efforts, and the tenants will not be able to move back in at this time.
The investigation confirmed that this fire started in the kitchen of a lower apartment and quickly spread throughout the complex. The tenants placed a pot of oil on the stove and were waiting for it to heat up when they noticed a quick puff of smoke followed by the oil catching fire. They attempted to extinguish the fire but due to the oil, it rapidly spread through the kitchen, burning one of the tenant’s chests. That tenant was transported to the burn center in Portland where he was treated and released later that evening. No other injuries occurred as a result of the fire but, unfortunately, at least one cat was found deceased.
The total damage is estimated at $600,000 including structural damage and contents.
Lake Oswego Fire Department was assisted by both Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and Portland Fire & Rescue bringing a total of 8 engines, 3 ladder trucks, and 4 chiefs with 47 firefighters to the scene. AMR ambulance, Lake Oswego Police, and the American Red Cross all assisted as well.
