One man unaccounted for, another escapes at house fire in The Dalles
Firefighers douse hotspots at a house fire at 807 W. 19th Street in The Dalles this afternoon. The home, owned by Daniel Portwood, was destroyed.
By Tom Peterson / Photos by Josh Albert
The Dalles, Ore., May 16, 2024 — It appears fire took the life of one man and destroyed a home at 807 W. 19th Street despite firefighting efforts to stem the blaze which was reported around 9 a.m. this morning.
The cause of the fire was determined to be the use of a heat lamp in the basement sleeping area of the structure.
Neighbors reported hearing gunfire as the flames consumed the home as unspent ammunition was exploding due to the heat.
The owner of the home, Daniel Portwood, a retired TD Police Officer, escaped the home without injury.
However, an adult male who was in the home has yet to be accounted for and likely perished in the blaze, according to The Dalles Police Chief Tom Worthy.
“We’re still up there conducting an investigation… and medical examiners is up there right now,” said Worthy. “One adult male appears to have passed in the fire.”
As per standard investigatory procedure, Wasco County District Attorney Matthew Ellis has been informed about the probable death and he is advising on the removal and handling of the body, Worthy said.
Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue Chief Bob Palmer was also on-site at around 12:30 p.m. and working with the State Fire Marshall, in part, to chase down the fire’s origin.
Earlier this morning, multiple fire engines from Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue responded to the fire as huge plumes of black smoke were sent skyward from the home, which is sandwiched between Mount Hood Street and Mill Creek.
Large trees to the east of the house were also ignited, threatening nearby structures.
An adjacent home did catch fire, but crews kept the damage to the neighboring home limited and suitable for living.
Several vehicles also burned in the blaze, Worthy said.
Several dogs were at the home, two in kennels outside.
“I don’t know how many dogs were in there,” Worthy said, “but the two in backyard survived.”
Worthy said plastic dog bowls around the kennels had melted.
TD Police also used a drone to capture footage of the blaze from the sky to assist in the investigation.
“Our detectives are collaborating with fire investigators to determine the cause of the fire,” Worthy said, noting his team is also gathering video evidence from neighbors to understand what occurred and why.
Additional information about the incident will likely be released from the police department within 24 to 48 hours.
The Fire is a strong warning of the volatility our area is currently under due to warm temperatures and dry conditions.
“Our whole town and area is susceptible to fire and we all need to be careful,” he said. “It could be a heck of a fire season this year.”
The response included 37 firefighters from our region:
MCFR- Engines 22, 21/ Truck 21/ Fire Medics 21, 22/ (Wildland Crew 24) Chiefs 21, 23, 24, 25
Dallesport- Engine 635
Dufur- Engine 32
Mosier- Engine 12
Wy’East- Engine 67
ODF- Engine 9451
The Dalles City Police
Wasco County Sheriff
Wasco County Emergency Management
