Oregon
Oregon woman hailed as hero for saving baby after live power line electrocutes family
Majiah Washington, 18, rescued a 9-month-old baby after his father, mother and a teenager made contact with the downed power line and died on Wednesday. Jan. 20, 2024.
PORTLAND, Ore. – First responders in Portland hailed an 18-year-old woman as a hero for rescuing a 9-month-old baby after his father, mother and a teenager were electrocuted while making contact with a downed power line during an ice storm on Wednesday.
A large tree branch fell across a live power line, pulling it down across an SUV Wednesday morning as much of northwestern Oregon was amid a days-long bout with freezing rain.
DEADLY CROSS-COUNTRY WINTER STORM BLANKETS NORTHWEST AS ICE CRIPPLES REGION
Portland Fire and Rescue officials originally reported that the three victims were inside the SUV when the power line fell and were electrocuted when they left the vehicle. But after speaking with witnesses, spokesperson Rick Graves said their initial reports were incorrect.
Instead, at the time of the tree fall, the father was loading the baby into the SUV, reported FOX 12 Oregon.
The family’s SUV, with a broken tree branch on it.
(FOX 12 Oregon / FOX Weather)
Majiah Washington, 18, said during a press conference Friday she was in a nearby home when she heard an explosion and looked out the window to see the tree branch down and the power line draped across the SUV.
As the baby’s mother screamed to get the child out the car to safety, Washington said the father then pulled the baby out of the vehicle, but ended up slipping and falling as he walked up an ice-coated driveway. The bottom of his foot then touched the live wire, causing him to be electrocuted.
She added that the baby’s mother rushed over to help him and her baby, but slipped too and made contact with the wire.
“I’m on the phone with 911, and I’m explaining to them what’s going on,” Washington said. “And then the teenager ran past me, and he slipped as he was on his way down there to assist with the situation and fell forward, and his foot touches the (power) line.”
Amid the unfolding chaos, Washington noticed that the baby was still alive.
“The baby moved his head, and that’s how I knew he was still here,” she said. “So I crouched down and I kind of slid; I used my hands to break my fall and I didn’t land on top of his father but my hands landed on top of him, and I just grabbed the baby… and I walked him up the hill to hand him to someone who could check on him.”
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Graves praised Washington’s bravery in risking her own life to save the baby.
“What a humble individual,” Graves said after Washington shared her story. “Don’t we need more Majiah Washington’s out there? The scene that she was within and responded to… was very heightened — there was a lot of emotions going on and this calm individual in our community came out and made a huge difference.”
None of the victims have been officially identified, though FOX 12 Oregon reported the teen victim was a sophomore at a nearby high school.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The Oregon Department of Forestry is asking Oregonians to be careful when disposing of yard debris this spring.
READ MORE | High pressure brings 48-hour warmup to western Oregon as temps near 90 Tuesday
“There have already been 23 escaped debris burns for a total of 83 acres reported on ODF-protected land in 2026,” the agency said.
The agency said that at this time last year, it had responded to 37 escaped burns.
“More than 70% of wildfires every year in Oregon are human-caused, with escaped debris burns topping the list,” ODF said. “With record-low snowpack and an abnormally warm winter, forecasters are anticipating a hotter and drier summer than usual.”
The Central Oregon District of ODF has already declared the start of fire season.
On May 14, fire restrictions will go into effect for all Bureau of Land Management lands in Oregon and Washington.
“We are increasingly concerned that 2026 could rival the most extreme years on record for heat and dryness in the Pacific Northwest,” said Jeff Fedrizzi, assistant chief of operations for the Pacific Northwest, U.S. Wildland Fire Service. “Every visitor must understand that even one small spark can lead to a costly and destructive fire in these high-impact conditions.”
Officials say the restrictions will help reduce the risk of human-caused fires. BLM officials say anyone who violates the prohibition could be fined up to $100,000 and/or face up to 12 months in prison.
More information on fire season is available on the ODF website.
The Bureau of Land Management website has additional information on fire restrictions and closures.
The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 10 drawing
1PM: 8-2-8-4
4PM: 5-1-2-6
7PM: 1-5-9-6
10PM: 8-6-5-1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon DMV issued a warning for drivers, saying scammers are still sending out fake text messages trying to steal money from people.
State DMV officials say it is part of a nationwide scam that’s been happening for nearly two years.
The fake text messages often come from international phone numbers or non-government email addresses.
In the messages, the scammers threaten to suspend car registration or driving privileges if a person doesn’t pay.
If you get this message, the DMV asks that you don’t click on any links or respond. Simply report it to the Federal Trade Commission or delete it.
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