Asbestos found in debris from vacant Kmart building fire. Here’s what to do

Debris from the fire that ravaged the former Kmart building in Northeast Portland this week contains asbestos, spurring health precautions Friday for surrounding neighborhoods and plans for further assessment and cleanup.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said a city of Portland contractor tested fragments that had floated about a mile south to Luuwit View Park and found they included asbestos.

All city activities planned at the popular city park have been canceled for Friday and the Parkrose School District plans to keep all summer school students indoors.

Health officials urged the public to avoid areas that have ash or debris and keep children and pets away.

People whose yards and driveways may contain fire debris should not touch, pick up, move, sweep or vacuum any ash or debris that may have come from the fire; they also should not mow the grass or work in the garden if the area was potentially exposed.

“We’re not saying that there is asbestos throughout the neighborhood. There’s ash and chunks of material. So when we’re asking people to protect themselves, it’s out of an abundance of caution,” said Susan Mills, a Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson.

The state agency launched an area assessment Friday to sample and test the debris to better understand the spread of the contamination and to identify next steps in the cleanup. Initial testing will focus on Parkrose schools, Mills said.

The fire ripped through the vacant Kmart building on Wednesday morning, spreading ash and other debris across the Parkrose and Argay neighborhoods. Charred pieces of the building and heavy dust floated many street blocks from the blaze, landing in yards, school fields and streets.

A city contractor tested the debris Thursday and began to clean up Luuwit View Park on Thursday afternoon. The agency didn’t send the public warning until Thursday night because it took time to gather all of the information necessary to put out the public warning, Mills said.

Mills said Prologis, the company that plans to build a massive warehouse at the former Kmart site, conducted an asbestos assessment in the vacant building last August. It came up negative for asbestos, she said. That’s why, when the fire started, the Department of Environmental Quality thought there was no asbestos in the burning building.

It’s possible, said Mills, there was asbestos in parts of the building that were not tested.

City or state agencies have not said if they plan to clean any other areas or assist private homeowners to clean up their yards.

Officials said homeowners can gently soak ash and debris with water to keep it from becoming airborne, but should not power wash it.

Asbestos was used widely in building materials throughout the last century and long-term exposure can cause cancer and lung-related health issues.

Other agencies involved in the investigation include the Oregon Health Authority, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Portland Bureau of Emergency Management and Multnomah County.