Originally built in 1910, The May building has long been a staple in Portland city. However, this week it sadly suffered from a fire which has now gutted the top part of the apartments. Having said this, it’s not just the top of the building that is in trouble either. Structurally, this could destroy the entire foundations which may lead to a complete collapse. As a result, the building has been taped off by officials and the Portland fire department.

As seen, there’s still lots of rubble on the ground, and overall this is a sad state of affairs. At the same time, we should still be grateful that no one died as it could have been a lot worse. The origin of the fire still remains to be seen, but at this stage, it seems accidental. Apparently, residents originally ignored the fire alarm – before eventually making a swift exit when the flames became more visible.

Portland residents also took to social media to voice their opinions on the matter, and said the following: “My heart breaks for the residents. Besides the stress of everything, which is significant, they lost their community and anything sentimental.”, “I lived in that very third floor apartment for a month when I first moved to Portland. I got out as soon as I could”

And “What happens to the now former residents under Oregon law? Are they just pushed into homelessness, or is the landlord or state required to pay relocation funds? If they can’t find an apartment with comparable rent, is the new landlord required to cut them a break?”

As seen with the final comment, it will be interesting to see how this one plays out from a logistical and legal standpoint. However, the point remains that this is still a saddening sight to see – and hopefully the residents will eventually be ok.