PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Cadaver dogs have indicated there may be human remains in the rubble of the burned-out Centennial Mills warehouse, according to Portland Fire & Rescue on Friday.
Cadaver dogs have indicated there may be human remains in the rubble of the burned-out Centennial Mills warehouse, according to Portland Fire & Rescue on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026.(Portland Fire & Rescue)
Firefighter said the dogs trained to search for human bodies did two sweeps of the inside of the still-standing building after it burned on Aug.2, and during both searches the dogs indicated that they had found human remains.
As a result, officials are working with the assumption that there is at least one person dead inside the rubble.
According to firefighters, the Portland Permitting & Development has issued a Notification of Dangerous Structure and Order to Demolish to the property owner. PF&R said the owner and the city are working with a structural engineer and demolition contractor to make a plan for bringing down the building safely.
This demolition will also help the investigation by removing the danger of an imminent collapse on any investigators and allow for a more complete search for any bodies inside, according to firefighters.
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