The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is downgrading warnings about asbestos contamination in the smoke from a fire in a former Kmart in Northeast Portland last week.
The fire destroyed the building and spread ash and debris across Parkrose and surrounding neighborhoods.
Testing on Friday revealed the presence of asbestos, prompting warnings to shelter in place and avoid the debris.
A fire at an abandoned Kmart in Northeast Portland, Ore., sends up a large plume of smoke on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
Courtesy of Portland Fire & Rescue
Authorities have cleaned up local parks, like Luuwit View Park, in hazmat suits. Residents are being told to clean their own properties using N95 masks and waterproof gloves.
But people like parent and gardener Angela Baker remain concerned.
“Right now, I don’t feel comfortable eating the mulberries and raspberries out of my garden‚” she said, “because there’s a fine coating of ash on things.”
She’s not sure what to do.
“Does that contain asbestos? I don’t know. I don’t want to be ingesting those things.”
The DEQ says well-rinsed fruits and vegetables are safe to eat.
Debris from the Kmart fire on July 19, 2023.
Courtesy: Angela Baker
Baker said people in Parkrose have warned the city about homeless people sneaking into the old Kmart building, but nothing was done.
“The fire and the contamination in the community, the lack of communication about contamination in the community,” she said, “it’s all just par for the course.”
She thinks the fire is symbolic of how their working-class neighborhood is viewed by authorities.
“That’s just how our neighborhood gets treated.”
When the Oregon DEQ tested debris on Friday, it found asbestos and warned people to avoid the ash.
But DEQ spokesperson Susan Mills said subsequent testing has been less worrisome.
“In the debris so far, the preliminary results are that there was no asbestos found,” Mills said. But testing of the atmosphere was positive. “In the air quality sampling we found trace amounts of asbestos.”
The DEQ said that while asbestos can cause cancer, it’s relatively common in the environment and few of the people exposed suffer health problems.
“Disease symptoms do not usually appear until 10 to 40 years after the first exposure to asbestos, and are most common for individuals exposed to asbestos regularly over a period of months or years,” reads a DEQ explanation on its website. “Intense exposure is unlikely from brief exposure to debris containing asbestos.”
An Oregon DEQ graphic offers advice on cleaning up after the Kmart fire.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Regarding the debris from last week’s fire, the DEQ says levels are so low that people can collect debris themselves, and Metro has said it will collect such trash.
Some locals remain skeptical, citing confusion in messaging from the state. Mills said the agency understands the fear and confusion.
“Whenever we hear ‘asbestos,’ of course we get nervous and scared,” she said. “And seeing this ash and debris throughout the neighborhood, and how thick it’s been, it’s terribly scary. That is understandable.”
The DEQ has set up a Kmart Fire Asbestos Response website to keep people informed of the testing.
DEQ is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, Multnomah County and additional Portland agencies to investigate the situation.
Officials recommend keeping children and pets away from debris until it has been cleaned.