PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – A 116-year-old vacant warehouse in Portland’s Pearl District was engulfed in flames visible for miles Sunday, with fire crews unable to enter the building due to structural hazards.
Fire was reported on the first floor of the Centennial Mills warehouse just before 4 p.m. Within hours, half of Portland Fire and Rescue’s workforce- 88 members- had responded.
Portland Fire and Rescue Public Information Officer Rick Graves said the building’s construction made it especially dangerous to fight from the inside. “There are holes in the floor. There are stairwells that have been removed,” Graves said.
He added that the warehouse’s heavy timber framing added to the danger.
“There’s always a concern as a result of the flooring members within this warehouse are very thick 18-20 inch timber members throughout the entire structure. That’s a lot of lumber. It’s a lot of fuel. It is now unfortunately all going up,” Graves said.
A vacant warehouse is burning in northwest Portland on Sunday afternoon, according to Portland firefighters. (Aug. 2, 2026)(Portland Fire & Rescue)
Crews battled the fire by river and by air.
Police had also responded to the site recently, citing squatting concerns. Officials said no one was inside the building and no injuries were reported.
Witnesses described watching the landmark come down.
“It was really surprising. We see this building every day- it’s dilapidated, but it’s beautiful, so it’s sad to see it coming down. It was just like a cyclone of fire in there,” said Mara Christensen, who witnessed the fire.
Riley Bassett, another witness, said, “It’s super surreal. I’ve never watched a building come down. I have an old photo of this building from four or five years ago that I took. I’ve always looked at this building and liked it a lot every time I’m in Fields Park. It’s pretty sad honestly.”
Christensen also described the scene around her. “I think anytime we watch something that’s just been a staple just being destroyed, it catches our attention. It’s sad. I watched a little kid over there just sobbing watching it come down,” she said.
The Centennial Mills site is set to be redeveloped by the Human Access Project to establish public connection to the Willamette River.
Fire officials said they expect the warehouse to collapse overnight. If it does not collapse on its own, officials said it will be carefully demolished, as the building remains a safety hazard without any internal structure holding it up.
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