Fire At University Club In Downtown Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. — The University Club in downtown Portland was evacuated late Tuesday morning due to a fire that started in a chimney and spread to the HVAC system when folks tried to light their wood burning fireplace.

Firefighters responded to Southwest Broadway and Jefferson just after 11:00am.

The filters in the air conditioning unit caught fire.   It took a couple of hours to contain the smoke inside the three-story building.

“This happens often on the first fire (of the season).  Sometimes there’s creosote or other things built up in the chimney,” said Terry Foster with Portland Fire and Rescue.

He says crews expect to respond to many more chimney fires before winter is over as this is a common issue when people use their fireplace after it has been sitting for a while.  It’s a reminder that if you plan on using a wood burning fireplace as temperatures drop, clean it out first.