2 people jump from 2nd-floor balconies during early-morning townhouse fire in SW Portland

Two people were trapped in a burning townhouse in Southwest Portland on Saturday morning and managed to escape the flames by jumping off their home’s two second-story balconies, officials said.

Portland Fire & Rescue got a call at about 7 a.m. reporting that there was a fire at 5527 SW Multnomah Boulevard and that two people were stuck on one of the building’s balconies, officials said.

As firefighters were arriving, the two residents who were stuck found a way out on their own. One jumped from their unit’s front balcony, while the other jumped from a rear balcony, officials said.

Authorities did not publicly identify either of the people who jumped, but they said both had to go to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Emergency responders also took a third person to the hospital for smoke