Editor’s note: The name of the man whose yard was on fire has since been withheld following privacy concerns.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Portland man credits six quick-thinking neighbors for saving his home after flames erupted in his front yard.
The man, whose name we are withholding for privacy reasons, said he had just left his Portland home on Saturday afternoon when his neighbors reportedly saw someone throw a lit firework into his yard. The neighbors extinguished the flames with hoses while they waited for firefighters to arrive.
Neighbor Taud Coffman said someone in a truck threw the firework “and as soon as it hit it started a fire.”
Coffman likened the thrown object to a mortar. He’s a veteran and said the explosion from the object reminded him of “some of the things I heard when I was overseas, like the bombs.”
“Basically the incident that unfolded was there was a loud explosion in the street, there was smoke everywhere and as soon as the smoke cleared they saw my yard was ignited from this explosion,” said the man whose yard was on fire. “Without good neighbors, I wouldn’t have this house standing. I wouldn’t have a home.”
The man said the flames charred his front yard to a crisp but his house was untouched, though the fire got close.
The man said he’s an artist and keeps all of his unfinished work in the house, along with his two cats, so he said he’s very grateful his home didn’t burn down. But he said he’s also upset this happened and wants to see more enforcement of the fireworks ban.
The Portland area is under a burn ban as the state experiences a historic drought. Fire officials said fireworks caused a deadly apartment fire in early July.