Firefighters in Oregon City put out a small fire Monday night at the Blue Heron Paper Mill, which Metro has been considering buying because of its access to Willamette Falls.
Clackamas Fire District No. 1 got a report of smoke from the Blue Heron site just after 8 p.m. after security workers reported seeing smoke from a building. Firefighters found smoke coming from Paper Machine Building No. 1, on the southwest corner of the complex.
The blaze was largely contained by a sprinkler system, firefighters said. Several crews, including one engine from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, responded to the blaze.
The official cause is under investigation. No injuries were reported and a damage estimate was unavailable. Fire officials said contractors may have been using welding equipment at the site as part of their effort to dismantle parts of the mill, which went bankrupt last year.
The equipment within the mill was sold in bankruptcy court, and the fire department said that equipment should be removed by next summer.
Metro, along with Oregon City, Clackamas County and state officials, has been looking into the environmental conditions at the site, as well as whether and how much contaminants were released from the site into the Willamette River, as they decide whether to try to launch a bid open it for public access.
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