Fire destroys former Kmart building in NE Portland, puts up large smoke plume

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A large fire completely gutted the interior an old Kmart building near Northeast 122nd Avenue and Northeast Sandy Boulevard in Portland Wednesday morning, KGW reported.

Firefighters began responding to the blaze at around 6:30 a.m. Rick Graves, public information officer for Portland Fire & Rescue, told KGW that an officer leaving a training yard across the street from the abandoned Kmart building saw the fire and called for assistance.

A massive plume of smoke could be seen from around the neighborhood Wednesday morning.

Portland Fire & Rescue said that limited hydrants in the area created a challenge for crews and they had to pump from hydrants far away. Another challenge was the 8-foot-tall fence and cement blocks along Northeast 122nd Avenue, placed by the property's owner to limit use of the parking lot. Firefighters cut through locks on the fence and used a winch to move some of the barriers to get into the parking lot.

The agency also said there were concerns over embers possibly landing in the neighborhood and starting additional fires. However, the fire didn't spread and no other fires boke out.

Shortly after 8 a.m., most of the flames were pared down as crews continued to use aerial streams to put the fire out. Photos from the scene later in the morning showed the building completely hollowed out by the flames, with only charred structural beams still standing inside.

Crews will remain at the scene throughout the day, using aerial master streams to keep the fire from growing.

No one was hurt, according to Portland Fire & Rescue.