March 02--A malfunctioning ignition switch on a propane stove started a Saturday afternoon fire that caused about $35,000 worth of damage to a Buddhist temple in Southeast Portland, according to the Portland Fire Bureau.
No one was injured in the blaze, though one woman was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. The woman was not transported to the hospital.
The Portland Fire Bureau initially dispatched a crew from Engine 29 about 12:10 p.m. on Saturday to Tinh Xa Ngoc Chau, a temple at 4320 S.E. 136th Ave. They upgraded the call to a commercial fire after discovering it was a temple.
Firefighters saw fire coming from a covered patio area attached to the back of the building. They battled the patio fire while searching for people within the smoke-filled building. A fire crew was put on the roof to help ventilate the attic.
Firefighters had the blaze under control by 12:35 p.m., and crews remained on scene afterward to clean up and remove smoke from the building. An investigator later determined the ignition switch on a propane stove was to blame.
The structure was valued at $301,000, and firefighters estimated the damage to the structure to be about $30,000. The fire damaged about $5,000 worth of the building's contents.
-- Nicole Dungca
Follow @ndungca
Copyright 2013 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
