Black smoke billowed over parts of Portland Saturday afternoon as firefighters worked to battle a wildfire on Ross Island.
The fire was reported at 4:43 p.m.
Portland Fire Department was about to call a second alert around 5:30 p.m., as crews sprayed water from fire boats and called in additional crews. At 8:10 p.m., the fire department called a third alert.
Portland Fire Department sent firefighters to the island by fireboat to help put out the blaze.
Crews on the island found abandoned Ross Island Sand & Gravel equipment and burning tractor tires, but no structures were involved, according to the Portland Fire & Rescue Bureau.
“The thick black smoke was not from the fire but from the rubber,” said Katia Minor, a firefighter and spokeswoman for the office. “The tires kept reigniting.”
Access to the island was difficult for firefighters. Station 21’s fire boat, usually docked near the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge, was near the St. Johns Bridge when the fire was reported and not as close, leading to a somewhat delayed response, Minor said.
Battalion Chief Jason Kelly spotted the fire from the Ross Island Bridge and served as incident commander, according to Minor.
Firefighters sprayed water on the fire from the turrets of two boats and stretched rigid cables from the boat’s pumps to fight the flames, she said.
The office changed shifts throughout the afternoon, with about 40 firefighters involved.
Crews brought flashlights and food to help firefighters when they learned the fire was spreading to the western part of the island around 7:30 p.m., according to the bureau. The fire also spread to tree limbs and cottonwood trees on the island, raising concerns about firefighter safety, Minor said.
A man who lives on a boat on the east side of the island and gave his name as Bird said the smoke was “so black it blocked out the sun.” He added that there were no signs around the island saying no.
Portland General Electric cut power to the island as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
While firefighters were working on Ross Island, other city firefighters were helping other agencies put out a wildfire on Sauvie Island, Minor said.
— Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice issues. You can reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, or follow her on X @maxoregonianor on LinkedIn.
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