Portland fire officials are investigating a possible arson after a fire damaged the home and cars of Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos early on Sunday.
Portland Fire & Rescue crews responded to the blaze at Avalos’ home in the Mill Park neighborhood at 2:40 a.m. on Sunday. Firefighters found multiple cars and a carport engulfed in flames.
Crews extinguished the fire and no one was injured. Investigators determined the vehicle where the fire originated belonged to Avalos. Police said the cause of the fire remains undetermined, but investigators consider it “suspicious.”
On social media, Councilor Avalos reported she woke up to her car, carport and home engulfed in flames. “I was able to get out safely with my cat Valentino,” she wrote.
Avalos thanked fire crews for their efforts. “I’m grateful for the quick response from Portland firefighters who prevented the fire from spreading even further,” she said.
On Sunday, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and city councilors released a joint statement in support of Avalos.
“As public servants, we each stepped forward to serve Portland, and today, we stand united in support of our colleague. We thank Portland Fire & Rescue and the Portland Police Bureau for their quick response and ongoing investigation into a fire incident involving Councilor Avalos. We are working closely with Councilor Avalos to provide her with the resources and security she needs,” the statement said.
In January 2024, a car belonging to the parents of former City Council member Rene Gonzalez was set on fire outside of his home. The fire destroyed the vehicle and authorities launched an arson investigation but no arrests were ever made.
And in 2020, demonstrators demanding former mayor Ted Wheeler’s resignation during the height of Portland’s 2020 racial justice protests smashed windows and set fires inside his condo building, prompting the mayor to move. That fall, former Commissioner Dan Ryan’s home was also vandalized multiple times after he voted not to cut the police budget.
Avalos, a Black Latina who for years has been a staunch and outspoken progressive on issues such as immigration, community policing and homelessness, had routinely been the recipient of online vitriol, including death threats, even before she was elected. Before joining the city council, she headed the Northeast Portland-based environmental justice group Verde.
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