March 17 2021 Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said Tuesday's fire means the City Council must approve more homeless shelters. A person and a dog were killed in a recreational vehicle fire early Tuesday morning. Firefighters responded to the fire behind the Shalamar Apartments on Southeast Powell Boulevard around 2 a.m. on March 16. Another person and a dog who were in the vehicle escaped injury. Portland Fire & Rescue said the fire was started by "improper use of a propane heater" used to keep the vehicle's occupants warm. Six such fires have happened so far this year, PF&R said. At one point, firefighters were getting called out to three or four tent fires each day. Last month, a man died after being severely burned in a tent fire in Portland's Piedmont neighborhood. Investigators said the blaze likely came from a propane heating device.