PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — For a third time, drivers and residents could see the smoke and flames erupting from a shredded tire pile near the Moda Center.
According to Portland Fire & Rescue, the fire was smaller than previous flare-ups, with only a few crews responding to the scene.
Investigators with Portland Fire said that they are in contact with the owner of the property and that they are hoping to use an excavator to reach the seat of the fire so they can stop it from reigniting.
According to city records, the tire company that owns the tire shreds stores them at a grain silo before they’re loaded onto ships, sent down the river and sold.
PF&R says the company, Castle Tire, has been notified of a couple of fire code violations. Although the dates of these violations are unclear, they say the company did make some corrections.
However, the height of the pile is currently in violation with fire code. It’s not supposed to be higher than 10 feet.
According to city records, the tire company has appealed the violation and hired an outside fire engineering consultant. The consultant sent a report to the city proposing that instead of correcting the issue, the company should be allowed to install a high tech camera system that would quickly detect a fire.
City officials are warning people in the area to avoid inhaling any smoke.
According to an EPA report, open air tire fires release many harmful chemicals – including carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides and hydrogen chloride. It can also release metals such as arsenic and mercury.
The report says tire fires can cause significant short term and long term health hazards to firefighters and nearby residents.
According to a statement from the Department of Environmental Quality: “The pile of shredded tires, located at the grain elevator does not have a DEQ waste tire storage permit because the tire shred is considered product and not waste. DEQ does regulate the location that shreds the waste tires,…However, after processing the tires, the shredded tires are considered product so would not require a DEQ waste tire permit. DEQ is going to inspect the site when it is safe to do so and determine if there are environmental violations.”