Portland, OR—The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, Multnomah County, Oregon Health Authority, and additional Portland agencies continued ash and debris cleanup on Saturday in the aftermath of the fire at a former Kmart building in Northeast Portland, with the city of Portland re-opening a park and environmental officials testing air and debris samples.

Some debris fragments from the fire may contain asbestos, a material once commonly used in buildings, but which can cause health problems from long-term exposure. If you see ash or debris, keep children and pets away until it has been cleaned. The public is being asked to avoid coming in contact with fire debris.

State environmental and health officials also have published instructions on how to safely clean or remove the debris from homes and yards, which you can find in the Frequently Asked Questions section of DEQ’s Kmart fire asbestos response webpage . Those who are concerned about doing their own cleanup can report debris to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

DEQ, Multnomah County Health Department, and Oregon Health Authority are hosting a community meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 23, in-person and online at Parkrose School District offices, 10636 NE Prescott St. in Portland. You can register ahead of time on Zoom, or join when the meeting starts at ordeq.org/kmartfire-meeting . The event is to inform neighbors about work that is underway and demonstrate how to safely remove debris.

Additional updates from Saturday include the following:

• The City of Portland declared an Emergency Declaration on Friday, July 22, to ensure that the fullest extent of City support is available to our lead partners at the State of Oregon. Emergency Declarations modify multiple procedures on a temporary basis. Learn more at the City of Portland news page .
- Portland Parks & Recreation is working with a contractor to clean up several local parks. Luuwit View and Thompson Parks are now open, but the community garden in Luuwit View Park remains closed for now. Knott and John Luby Parks are still closed as cleanup continues.
• EPA continues to assist and support DEQ, the City of Portland, and Multnomah County in conducting the fire response. EPA mobilized emergency response contractors to the site Friday afternoon to begin conducting air monitoring for asbestos, air sampling for particulate matter (soot, dust), sampling fire debris for asbestos, and surveying the fire area and neighborhoods to determine the actual extent of fire debris fallout. Samples are being sent to certified laboratories for testing and preliminary results are expected on Sunday. Test data must be quality-checked and analyzed by the agencies’ asbestos experts to determine levels and risk to the community.

For more details, visit DEQ’s Kmart fire asbestos response webpage . You may also contact 211info by dialing 211 or 1-866-698-6155 for information and community resources.

About the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality protects human health and the environment by controlling air and water pollution, reducing the impacts of manufactured products and cleaning up contaminated properties. DEQ engages the public in decision-making and helps communities solve problems in ways that are economically and environmentally sustainable.

Contact:
Susan C. Mills, DEQ public affairs specialist, susan.mills@deq.oregon.gov, 503-956-9648

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