PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland firefighters say they had to crawl into a burning house past towering stacks of magazines and newspapers to search for the lone occupant, who died.
They found 67-year-old Thomas Owen in a back bedroom early Thursday. The Oregonian reports (http://is.gd/LmTPfi ) that Owen died of smoke inhalation after household items left too close to a fireplace ignited.
Fire Bureau spokesman Paul Corah says piles of paper in the three-bedroom home burned quickly. He says a fire typically doubles in size every two minutes. However, a space filled with fuel can accelerate that growth rate.
Corah says “the volume of stuff in the house” also hampered firefighters trying to find the victim.
