Portland Fire and Rescue on Wednesday finished the on-site portion of an investigation into what caused mounds of cars and tires to catch fire in a northeast Portland scrap yard, sparking a five-alarm blaze that forced more than 1,000 people from their homes.
Investigators are continuing interviews, said Capt. Louisa Jones. But crews turned the property at 7600 Killingsworth St., back over to the operator of NW Metals.
Authorities lifted an evacuation order Tuesday afternoon as soon as air quality data — captured and analyzed by the Environmental Protection Agency — showed safe levels of fine particulate matter, a common air pollutant.
The move came 24 hours after families were ordered to leave areas where roiling black smoke had rolled through the Cully neighborhood. Public clinics and social services agencies closed their doors, schools pulled children inside, and others were instructed to remain indoors with doors and windows closed.
Smoke from places such as junk yards contain not only fine particulate but also toxic chemicals, including asbestos, aldehydes, acid gases, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, explained Todd Hudson, a public health toxicologist with the Oregon Health Authority.
The EPA monitors picked up dangerous levels of particulate matter through Monday night, but shifting winds and rain helped quicken firefighter’s efforts. The evacuation order was lifted Tuesday afternoon. Fire crews remained overnight to make sure the fire didn’t reignite.
And just as the fire crews wrapped up their on-site investigation, the state’s Department of Environmental Quality was just beginning its review of the fire and its aftermath. They spent the morning with staff at NW Metals, walking through the property. NW Metals doesn’t have a solid waste permit, traditionally issued to disposal sites by the DEQ, said agency spokesperson Laura Gleim. That’s because under state law the company isn't considered a disposal site since it had a Dismantler Certificate from the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The DEQ’s assessment will determine next steps for cleaning up the property. That could include waste disposal, and sampling water and soil for contamination
