Portland Scrap Yard Fire Burns Area Homes, Sends Black Smoke Into Air

A scrap yard fire in Portland, Oregon, spread to surrounding homes and triggered evacuations on Monday, March 12. The plume of smoke from the multiple-alarm fire could be seen for miles.A nearby school also was evacuated, and those within a one-mile radius of the fire who were not evacuated were told to stay indoors with their windows closed and HVAC systems off, a news report said.A nearby duplex and apartment building burned, the report said, and 16 cats died in the fire. At least 10 dogs were rescued. Credit: thispdxlife via Storyful