Man threw Molotov cocktail, starting fire that destroyed east Portland apartment complex, witnesses say

Daniel Domingo was getting ready for the day in his second-floor apartment when he noticed smoke wafting up past the front window.

When he realized the building was on fire, he and his family quickly gathered what they could, including their dog, but by the time they got outside they realized they’d have to jump from the terrace. Even Domingo’s mother, who’s approaching her 70s, leaped from the second floor.

“I was just thinking about survival,” Domingo, 30, said. “My mom’s the eldest – she shouldn’t even have to deal with any of this.”

Multiple witnesses told The Oregonian/OregonLive that a man who lived in the east Portland apartment complex threw a Molotov cocktail at the building Friday morning. Police and fire officials have not commented on the fire’s cause.

One person reportedly has been taken into custody. Police have not publicly identified the person.

The fire was reported at 5:53 a.m. at the building near East Burnside Street and 104th Avenue, and more than 40 units ended up responding to the four-alarm blaze. Portland Fire & Rescue crews extinguished the fire in about an hour.

The

blaze quickly engulfed the building

. Domingo lived in the apartment right above where the man allegedly threw the makeshift incendiary.

Shaun Dougherty, 41, lived in an apartment in the back part of the building. He said he heard people arguing, and then the sound of broken glass, before he heard people yelling that a fire had started.

“I just grabbed my backpack and some cash, and I was out of here,” Dougherty said.

Portland fire said firefighters rescued multiple people from the blaze. No information is available about injuries.

This story will be updated.

—Kimberly Cortez covers breaking news, public safety and more for The Oregonian/OregonLive. She can be reached at

kcortez@oregonian.com

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