PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — One person died after fire broke out in a motel room used as a homeless shelter in Northeast Portland early Tuesday.
Shortly before 5 a.m. firefighters rushed to the Rodeway Inn at NE Sandy Boulevard and 97th. Fire crews found the man inside the room while they were battling the blaze and he was later confirmed to have died.
The blaze was contained to a single room on the first floor of the building. The motel is operated by Do Good Multnomah, a nonprofit that provides shelter to houseless veterans.
Ray, who is a friend of the man who died, told KOIN 6 News he was trying to work toward getting into permanent housing. Over the past 3 months, Ray said, they’ve become close friends.
He said they would talk about “just life in general. He’d feel down about something, I’d talk to him, if I was feeling down about something, he’d talk to me. It’s heartbreaking.”
Officials with Do Good Multnomah did not answer KOIN 6 News questions about whether they checked on the conditions of the residential units. But they did provide a statement and confirmed the Rodeway Inn operates as a shelter.
“No other injuries were reported to us, and it does not appear that any other rooms were affected. Investigators were still on scene Tuesday morning. We don’t have any additional details to share about the fire as they conduct their work,” the statement said in part. “We extend our condolences to the loved ones of the person who died.”
For Ray, it’s tough to lose someone he could trust.
There are several “no smoking” signs around the area, including one in the motel office that specifically warns people not to smoke in their rooms.
The cause of the fire is still to be determined at this time. But investigators don’t believe there was any criminal activity involved.
KOIN 6 News reporter Kohr Harlan contributed to this article.