Two bodies recovered in local apartment fire in Portland
The bodies of two dead people have been found in a single story apartment in the Portland neighborhood of Louisville earlier this evening. The fire happened on the 300 block of North 24th street at about 6:25 p.m. Neighbors report that an elderly couple lived in the apartment, but the identities of the two bodies are not yet known. However, a neighbor who bravely attempted to enter the apartment and search for anyone inside told police that he had seen the elderly gentleman who lived in the apartment return home about ten minutes before the fire started. Leonard apparently risked his own life in an attempt to get into the building and saw what appeared to be a man burning on the floor, but was unable to save him.
Apartment fires, whether they are in single story units or massive, multi-story complexes often involve similar legal issues. This seems to be a sad outcome as it is usually easier for residents of one and even two story complexes to get to safety when compared to apartments with many more stories. However, every fire behaves differently and the size of the structure is only one of many factors to consider in determining the cause and preventability of fire deaths. To find out more about the legal issues involved in apartment complex fires see our earlier posts here, here and here. Attorney Brian D. Cook at Bahe Cook Canltey & Jones PLC would be happy to answer any questions you might have about the legal aspects of apartment fires.
