A massive fire on Southeast Division Street Friday afternoon engulfed an RV where a couple had been living for years, sending a column of black smoke into the Portland sky and shattering windows at the business where the vehicle was parked. The blaze occurred near Southeast 8th and 9th avenues, just east of OMSI, during a busy evening commute with cars, bikes, runners, and MAX Orange Line riders in the area.
Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) responded at 4:20 p.m., dispatching a single engine to the scene. According to PF&R spokesperson Rick Graves, the cause of the fire remains unknown four days later. The displaced couple is receiving assistance from the Red Cross, and one cat from the RV is still missing.
The RV had been parked on the property of Standard Electric Motor Service, a mechanic shop owned by Laurance and Sandra Seet, who initially allowed the couple to stay there as a way to prevent the vehicle from being towed. Sandra Seet, 83, said her husband hoped the couple might compensate him for prior help, but recently they had asked the RV residents to move. “We asked them several times,” she said. “He kept saying, ‘We’re going to leave, we’re going to get a different vehicle.’”
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Now that the RV has burned and the couple is nowhere to be found, the Seets are unsure how the damaged vehicle will be removed. Sandra Seet noted, “We’re hoping it’s going to be towed away and I don’t know how, because we can’t afford it.” She and her husband have run the business for nearly 70 years, and in recent decades, they’ve faced increasing issues including break-ins, graffiti, and people camping on the flat roof.
Local resident Barry King witnessed the smoke from a distance across the Willamette River and recorded videos as PF&R arrived. King commented on the declining presence of RVs with residents in the area, but emphasized that he doesn’t want to jump to conclusions about the fire. “I like to ask questions. And the question is, how did the fire start?” he said.
The fire has highlighted broader concerns about RV living and urban homelessness in Portland. While RVs provide temporary shelter for some, the combination of aging vehicles, electrical hazards, and densely populated areas can pose significant safety risks. PF&R has not yet assigned an investigator to determine the cause of this blaze.
Photographs of the incident show the RV engulfed in flames, with smoke visible from downtown Portland. Sandra Seet described the immediate aftermath: the windows of their business were shattered, and the charred RV remains on-site, creating a logistical and financial challenge for the shop owners.
This incident reflects ongoing challenges in Portland neighborhoods, where RV living intersects with established businesses and residential areas. The Seets, who have long contributed to the community, are now left to navigate cleanup and recovery while waiting for official guidance on removal of the burned-out vehicle.
Residents and onlookers remain curious about the fire’s origin, but with no investigation currently assigned, answers may not come soon. Meanwhile, the Red Cross continues to provide support to the displaced couple, who had made the RV their home for years.
The Southeast Division Street fire is the latest in a string of incidents raising questions about urban safety, homelessness, and the risks associated with temporary housing solutions in Portland.
