Portland’s city engineer says a downtown church building heavily damaged in a fire this week will be demolished.
The former Portland Korean Church caught fire Tuesday night for the second time in just over two years.
Portland Fire & Rescue at the scene of a 3-alarm fire at the former Portland Korean Church on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.
Greg Muhr / Portland Fire & Rescue
Now the church at Southwest 10th Avenue and Clay Street is a hazard to surrounding buildings and to the nearby Portland Streetcar tracks.
The city engineer says the building will be demolished in the coming days. Some streets and sidewalks in the area will be closed until that happens.
Meanwhile police have arrested a suspect in Tuesday night’s fire. Cameron David Storer, 27, who also goes by the name Nicolette Fait, was jailed Wednesday on arson and burglary charges.
Flames are seen erupting from the former Portland Korean Church in Portland on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.
Courtesy of Linnea Dunn Martin
Police have not released further details on how the fire started.
The church was built in 1905 and was heavily damaged in a fire in September 2020.
Smoke rises from the former Portland Korean Church on Tuesday night after firefighters doused the flames.
Courtesy of Linnea Dunn Martin