Clackamas County, OR. – Official Release: There was very little activity last night at the scene of the former Blue Heron paper mill in Oregon City, where a massive 3-alarm fire broke out early Thursday morning, January 30th. Clackamas Fire responded and quickly upgraded the incident. Resources from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Canby Fire, and Portland Fire & Rescue also responded to assist. Scappoose Fire District’s Chief Jeff Pricher and staff provided a drone. Clackamas Fire Assistant Chief Dan Mulick stated
“Scappoose’s response to our request for a drone mission was far exceeded. The drone capabilities provided the Incident Commander with critical information that led to sound strategy and tactics that helped mitigate this emergency.”
Fire crews were able to control the spread of the fire by late Thursday morning. However, due to the complexity of the building and the property, demo and clean up operations will continue for the next few days, possibly through the weekend.
Clackamas Fire officials coordinated with the Grand Ronde Tribe to form a unified command. Together, they recognized the need to bring in heavy equipment to demolish the affected structure.
Starting today, Friday, January 31st, Fire crews remain on scene as heavy equipment begins debris clean up. While the scene has been declared under control, passersby may still see occasional flare-ups and continuous smoke from the structure. The Department of Environmental Quality has stated that, after on-scene observation, there is no public health issues present.
The public is urged not to call 911 or news tip lines about visible flames, as they are being monitored by on-site personnel. Observers are also asked to maintain a safe distance from the site.
Highway 99E and all surface streets have been reopened, and the railway is operating normally.
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