Two Found Dead in North Portland Van After Propane BBQ Sparks Fire

A cyclist found the van on fire “and attempted to alert anyone potentially inside but the flames were too intense.”

(Daniel Stindt)
By Elise Herron

At 6:30 this morning, Portland Fire and Rescue responded to a deadly van fire at the intersection of North Vancouver Avenue and North Middlefield Road.

The Fire Bureau says a cyclist found the van on fire "and attempted to alert anyone potentially inside but the flames were too intense." After extinguishing the blaze, crews found two bodies, one man and one woman, in the van. A medical examiner has not yet identified the victims.

Nearby residents report having seen people living in the van for the past two weeks. A PF&R arson team concludes that the fire was started by a propane barbecue—which was being used as a heat source—that ignited nearby clothing while the victims were sleeping.

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