House fire kills person, dog in rural Multnomah County, officials say

One person and a dog died Thursday in a house fire in unincorporated Multnomah County, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue said.

Firefighters responded at 12:08 p.m. to reports of “thick, black smoke billowing from a home” near Plainview Road and NW Cornelius Pass Road. A Portland Fire & Rescue crew arrived to find the house “fully engulfed in flames,” officials said.

Crews from other area fire departments soon arrived to fight the flames from outside the single-story house, with no sign that anyone was inside, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue said. As the teams continued to battle the blaze, firefighters entered the house through the basement. They found the person and pet on the first floor.

Water had to be brought in via trucks because there are no hydrants in the rural area, officials said. The fire was put out after about an hour and a half.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

— The Oregonian/OregonLive; dperry@oregonian.com