1975 — July 7, Pomona Hotel Arson Fire, Skid Row, Portland, OR — 12

–12 Associated Press. “Fire claims 12th victim. Corvallis Gazette-Times, OR. 10-14-1975, p. 5.
–12 Jones. “A Brief Look At The Hotel Fire Record.” Fire Journal (NFPA), May 1981, p. 41.
–12 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Key Dates in Fire History. 1996.
–11 Associated Press. “Fire toll now 11.” Corvallis Gazette-Times, OR. 7-16-1975, p. 3.
–11 NFPA. “Multiple-Death Fires, 1975.” Fire Journal, Vol. 70, no. 4, July 1976, p. 52.
–11 NFPA. Summary of Fire Incidents 1934-2006 in Hotel Fires in the United States. 2008.
–10 AP. “Tenth victim of Portland fire.” The Daily Chronicle, Centralia, WA. 7-14-1975, p. 11.
— 9 UPI. “Suspect in Fire Freed.” The Times, San Mateo, CA, 7-10-12975, p. 4.
— 8 Wheeler. “Oregon Fire Takes 8 Lives; Man Held on Arson Charges,” July 8, 1975.

Narrative Information

NFPA: “Transient hotel, Portland Oregon. On July 7, a fire of incendiary origin extensively damaged this transient hotel, hilling 11 occupants and injuring 26 others. The three-story building of ordinary construction was a temporary house for about 50 persons on the night of the fire. The first floor was occupied by six businesses; the upper two stories were the hotel. There was no sprinkler protection or fire detections system.” (National Fire Protection Association. “Multiple-Death Fires, 1975.” Fire Journal, Vol. 70, no. 4, July 1976, p. 52.)

Newspapers

July 8: “Portland, Ore. (UPI) – Eight men were killed and 26 persons injured, eight of them critically, when an arson-caused fire swept through the Pomona Hotel on skid row late Monday night. John A. Newvine, 62, who lives 17 blocks from the Pomona, was charged early today with arson and homicide, Portland Police Bureau Capt. Richard Walker said. Newvine gave no reason for setting the fire, Walker said. “When we got there people were hanging by their fingertips from a third floor ledge,” Portland Fire Bureau assistant Chief Wayne Lambeth said. “You’d see one face at a window and rescue him and another one would be right behind him. ‘We had people laying all over the sidewalk — some dead, some alive’.” (Wheeler. “Oregon Fire Takes 8 Lives; Man Held on Arson Charges,” Nashua Telegraph, NH, July 8, 1975.)

July 10: “Portland, Ore. (UPI) – The death toll in Portland’s worst fire, an arson set blaze in the rundown Pomona Hotel on skid row Monday night, rose to nine Wednesday, and police released a suspect in custody for lack of sufficient evidence….Newvine had been held in jail without bail after being arrested following a report from a service station attendant that a man ‘about 70 years old’ had bought 50 cents wroth of gasoline in a two-gallon can moments before the fire, which smelled strongly of gasoline fumes…” (United Press International. “Suspect in Fire Freed.” The Times, San Mateo, CA, 7-10-12975, p. 4.)

July 12: “Portland, Ore. (AP) – A 57-year-old man has been charged with reckless homicide in connection with a hotel fire that killed nine people. Roy Jennings Beard of Portland was being held without bail for arraignment Monday after his arrest on Friday.

“Twenty-five men were also injured in the fire which swept through the three-story Pomona Hotel in Portland’s skid road district Monday night.

“Fire investigators said gasoline apparently was poured down a stairway from a second-floor landing of the hotel before the blaze broke out.” (Associated Press. “Man charged in hotel fire.” Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, WI. 8-12-1975, p. 2A.)

July 14: “Portland, Ore. (AP) – A tenth victim of last week’s fire at the Pomona Hotel on skid row in Portland died Sunday at a hospital. He was 60-year-old Keith Milsap. Eight residents of the hotel died the night of the fire last Monday and another resident died of injuries in a hospital last week….” (AP. “Tenth victim of Portland fire.” Daily Chronicle, Centralia, WA. 7-14-1975, p. 11.)

July 16: “Portland (AP) – The death toll from the devastating July 7 fire in the Pomona Hotel here rose to 11 Tuesday. Robert Platero, 50, died at Good Samaritan Hospital.” (Associated Press. “Fire toll now 11.” Corvallis Gazette-Times, OR. 7-16-1975, p. 3.)

Oct 14: “Portland (AP) – The death of 46-year-old William Hysmith during the weekend was the 12th death resulting from a fire July 11 at the Pomona Hotel on Portland’s Skid Road. Hysmith suffered burns and smoke inhalation during the fire, which was caused by arson.

“Eight residents died the night of the fire and three died in hospitals during the next several days. Twenty-five other people were injured.

“Roy Jennings Beard, 57, a transient, was charged with reckless homicide an was sent to Oregon State Hospital.” (Associated Press. “Fire claims 12th victim. Corvallis Gazette-Times, OR. 10-14-1975, p. 5.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Fire claims 12th victim. Corvallis Gazette-Times, OR. 10-14-1975, p. 5. Accessed 10-19-2021 at: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35699976/corvallis-gazette-times/

Associated Press. “Fire toll now 11.” Corvallis Gazette-Times, OR. 7-16-1975, p. 3. Accessed 10-19-2021 at: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35699927/corvallis-gazette-times/

Associated Press. “Man charged in hotel fire.” Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, WI. 8-12-1975, p. 2A. Accessed 10-19-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/eau-claire-leader-telegram-jul-12-1975-p-3/

Associated Press. “Tenth victim of Portland fire.” The Daily Chronicle, Centralia, WA. 7-14-1975, p. 11. Accessed 10-19-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/centralia-daily-chronicle-jul-14-1975-p-11/

Jones, Jon C. “A Brief Look At The Hotel Fire Record.” Fire Journal (NFPA), May 1981, pp. 38-41.

National Fire Protection Association. Key Dates in Fire History. 1996. Accessed 2010 at: http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=1352&itemID=30955&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/Key%20dates%20in%20fire%20history&cookie%5Ftest=1

National Fire Protection Association. “Multiple-Death Fires, 1975.” Fire Journal, Vol. 70, no. 4, July 1976, p. 52.

National Fire Protection Association. Summary of Fire Incidents 1934-2006 in Hotel Fires in the United States as Reported to the NFPA, with Ten or more Fatalities. Quincy, MA: NFPA, One-Stop Data Shop, Fire Analysis and Research Division, January 2008, 4 pages. Accessed at: http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/Press%20Room/Hotelfirefatalitiesreport.pdf

United Press International. “Suspect in Fire Freed.” The Times, San Mateo, CA, 7-10-12975, p. 4. Accessed 10-19-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/san-mateo-times-jul-10-1975-p-4/

Wheeler. Dean B. “Oregon Fire Takes 8 Lives; Man Held on Arson Charges.” Nashua Telegraph, NH, July 8, 1975. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=71555680&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=0