Police: OR Man Set Fire Because Neighbors Were Trying to Kill Him

A Portland man suspected of starting a fire in his apartment Wednesday that displaced nearly two dozen fellow tenants told police he started the blaze because he believed his neighbors were trying to kill him and he "needed to stop them," court documents said.

A Portland Fire & Rescue investigator found Louis Duncan watching the flames burn the two-story, six-plex building in the 5500 block of Northeast 27th Avenue, according to a probable cause affidavit. He later told authorities that he used a lighter to ignite an envelope in his apartment, then used it to set a blanket on fire. The flames soon spread to several pieces of furniture he gathered near one of the walls.

Duncan, 34, claimed he left through a back door after smoke quickly filled his unit, the affidavit said. The court documents make no other mention of evidence found to support his claim that his life was endangered before the fire.

All six units were occupied when the two-alarm fire broke out, the affidavit said. No one was injured, but at least eight adults and 11 children were displaced, according to Portland Fire & Rescue.

The fire was estimated to have caused between $350,000 and $900,000 in damages.

Duncan's two-story apartment unit sustained the most damage, the affidavit said. There were bedroom dressers, mattresses, clothing and other items stacked in the living room. Flames also traveled to at least one neighboring apartment.

Duncan remains held in the Multnomah County Detention Center Sunday on accusations of first-degree arson. Records show he told jail staff that he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

———

©2016 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.)

Visit The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) at www.oregonian.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.