PORTLAND, Ore. -- A fire in North Portland that sent a plume of black smoke into the sky visible from miles away Saturday evening burned for almost 11 hours before it was completely extinguished early Sunday morning.
The fire began at around 5:30 p.m. at Schnitzer Steel, located at 12005 North Burgard Road, about three miles northwest of the St. Johns Bridge. The fire was under control by 8 p.m. Saturday. But crews remained on location until 4:15 a.m. Sunday to completely put out the fire.
Portland Fire arrived to find a large pile of recycled material burning in the yard and port, but because of the proximity to the building and bottles of flammable gases that were nearby, officials called for additional resources at 5:45 p.m. Portland Fire pumped water from the Willamette River because so much water was needed to fight the large fire.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Photos: North Portland industrial fire