Police and fire investigators are looking into a suspicious early-morning house fire that broke out in Milwaukie city limits earlier this week.
Milwaukie Police and Clackamas Fire District crews were dispatched to the two-alarm residential blaze in the 2900 block of Southeast Harrison Street shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday, July 16.
Police reportedly located a woman outside the home who claimed to be a resident and stated that no one else was home.
As Clackamas Fire crews arrived on the scene, officers saw the adjacent residence had also caught fire and began to evacuate the occupants.
All people and animals in the affected homes made it out to safety and were accounted for. No injuries were reported.
Police stated that the subject home of the initial fire was “overfilled with household items,” which created a significant challenge for crews to extinguish the blaze.
Portland Fire ladder crews also responded to the scene to assist in stopping the blaze from spreading to nearby homes. Police offered a special thanks to the Clackamas Fire Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, for providing support to fire crews and traffic control.
Just prior to the fire, witnesses stated they saw a person or persons in the immediate area of the fire who may have knowledge of the incident. Anyone with knowledge about this incident is asked to contact Officer Melisa Campos at camposme@milwaukieoregon.gov.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and is being handled jointly by Milwaukie Police and Clackamas Fire.