Warming stove likely caused fire at Oregon City Blue Heron paper mill

Published 10:56 am Tuesday, February 25, 2025

A Clackamas Fire marshal has determined that the Jan. 30 fire at the former Blue Heron Paper Mill site in Oregon City was likely caused by a warming stove as the building was being used as shelter by people experiencing homelessness.

Clackamas Fire Public Information Officer Izak Hamilton said the fire marshal found people were living in the building, had used warming fires and makeshift wood burning stoves and brought light combustible materials such as furniture inside.

“They did not find a competent ignition source which leads us to believe it was one of those warming devices or stoves,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton added that investigators were not able to determine if the fire was accidental or purposely started.

Crews initially responded to the fire at the old mill site, which is now owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, early in the morning Jan. 30. The size of the blaze and complexity of the site meant Clackamas Fire quickly upgraded the incident to a three-alarm fire to bring in additional resources. The fire was largely under control later that day, though an unstable roof prevented firefighters from entering the building and entirely extinguishing the blaze. Consequently the site has continued to smolder and occasionally flare up, though Hamilton stressed these flare ups were not a cause for concern.

“A fire like that can smolder for months and months,” Hamilton said.

He added that the smoldering should end soon as the Grand Ronde tribes brought contractors on site who recently began demolishing the building.

The property is being monitored for flare ups 24 hours a day and the contractors have brought in a water supply to put out the continuing smolder and flare ups, but Clackamas Fire will be ready to respond should they be needed, Hamilton said.