(Editor's note: The video in this story is from April 1, 2019, an overview of the effects of the huge fire.)
WILSONVILLE, Ore. -- A massive fire March 31 that destroyed an apartment complex under construction and heavily damaged 20 occupied homes had an incendiary start, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday.
The description of the origin of the fire does not constitute arson, the sheriff's office explained.
In legal terms, incendiary "means it was ignited by a person under circumstances in which it should not have been ignited ... arson refers to a crime in which a fire or explosion was set maliciously, intentionally, or recklessly. Many details of the blaze, including intent, have not been determined at this time," officials said.
Deputies on Tuesday released a photo asking for help identifying a young man with a skateboard photographing the fire with his cellphone. In the afternoon, deputies said the young man was identified and not a suspect in the case.
The fire occurred in the 11000 block of Southwest Collina Lane, during the early morning hours of March 31.
The apartment complex is part of the Villebois community, a planned development approved by the city of Wilsonville in 2013. It spreads across 480 acres with at least 2,300 residential units.
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Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue said flames shot up as high as 100 feet into the air and witnesses told KGW they could see the flames miles away. The heat from the fire enveloped parked vehicles, melted streetlights and destroyed homes.