At 11:44am Portland Fire & Rescue was dispatched to the report of a commercial fire at Trillium Lumber Yard (9089 N Denver). Crews noticed a large column of smoke as they approached and found fire and smoke issuing from one of several buildings on the property. Initially Truck 2 provided a size up and noticed that the bulk of the fire was coming from a sawdust hopper. Crews had limited hydrant availability as the main access to the lumber yard was from the Interstate/Denver overpass. Once the first engine arrived and established a water supply, crews started defensive attack on the fire. Access to the sawdust fuel was complicated by large power lines that had burnt through next to the fully involved sawdust hopper.  PGE responded to the scene and provided emergency disconnect to what they described as "very high voltage lines." Once the power problem was handled, crews could make access to the interior of the hopper and fully extinguish the fire. Crews spent the next 1-1.5 hours mopping up the remaining hot spots and provided access for the fire investigation team to begin determining a cause.

Fire investigation report: Cause is most likely a mechanical issue inside the hopper; Damage is estimated at over $20, 000.

 

Contact Info:
Lt. Rich Chatman PIO, Media pgr. 503-940-6003