The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Program is investigating a third death associated with last week’s heat wave that began Aug. 11. Investigators say confirmation will not be complete for several weeks. The person died Aug. 18 in Portland. No other details are being released at this time.
The death of a person on Aug. 15 in Portland, and a second person in Portland on Aug. 16, are also still under review by the state and local authorities.
Until the unprecedented June 2021 heat event, Multnomah County recorded only two hyperthermia deaths since 2010 — one each in 2016 and 2018. In the June/July event 62 people were confirmed to have died. Confirmation on several others are pending toxicology results.
The County will update this information as it becomes available.