Occupant Arrested in Portland Apartment Fire

One resident was arrested and charged with one count of 1st-degree Arson I and one count of first-degree Arson as a Measure 11 offense.

Salem-News.com

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Crews responded to an apartment fire at 1434 SW Morrison at 3:29 p.m. Friday. When fire crews arrived at 3:31 p.m., they found dark smoke coming from a third story apartment window, according to Lt. Rich Tyler with Portland Fire & Rescue.

"The firefighters immediately entered the building and extinguished the fire. The sprinkler in the apartment had been activated by the heat of the fire and had helped contain the fire," Tyler said, adding that the fire was under control at 4:01 p.m.

Tyler says firefighters received information that the fire was started by an explosion. Fire investigators were called to determine the origin of the fire, and made an arrest while investigating one of the apartments.

The fire was in apartment #410 and the occupant, 48-year old David Lee Meeker, who reportedly was home at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with one count of 1st-degree Arson I and one count of first-degree Arson as a Measure 11 offense.

Meeker was arrested and transported to the Multnomah County Jail. He will be arraigned on Monday, 12/07/09 at 3:30 p.m. His bail was set at $300,000.

Fire damage to the structure was $10,000 and the dollar amount for water damage, due to an activated sprinkler head, is unknown at this time.

39 firefighters responded to the blaze at 1434 SW Morrison, the fire drew response from 4 Engines, 2 Trucks, 1 Heavy Rescue, 1 Rehab, 5 Fire Investigators, 3 Fire Chiefs, 1 PIO, and 1 AMR Medic.