Portland Fire & Rescue responded to the report of a house on fire at 8425 NE Holiday Saturday, November 22, at 1:48am. When firefighters arrived they reported "...heavy smoke and fire showing." While firefighters were attacking the fire, other crews were searching for victims in the fire and located the resident in the bedroom of the house. The 56 y/o male was treated for smoke inhalation on scene and transported to Emanuel Hospital. Unfortunately the victim did not survive.

Fire Investigators have determined that the fire was accidental. The cause of the fire was attributed to smokers' carelessness. Damage estimates and the cause of the fire are not available at this time. It has been determined that there was not a working smoke detector in the house. None of the responding firefighters on the fire attack teams remember the alarms sounding as they fought the fire.

Portland Fire & Rescue recommends replacing your smoke detector if it is more than 10 years old. The sensing mechanism will lose its effectiveness after 10 years, and it can become clogged with dust. We also recommend installing a smoke detector on each floor, and one outside of each sleeping area. If you sleep with your bedroom door closed you should have a smoke alarm in the room.

A cigarette safety tip is to always discard smoldering and spent cigarettes properly.

More information regarding fire safety can be found on our web site, www.portlandonline.com/fire