PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — All eyes are on the Centennial Mills warehouse in Northwest Portland as demolition day is slated for Monday, more than two weeks after the 116-year-old warehouse caught fire.
Crews were on site Sunday in preparation for Monday’s controlled use of explosives to bring the water tower down. Due to the building’s instability, city officials said it’s unclear how the structure will react to the initial blasts.
Those who live within a half of a mile of the building can expect to hear the explosions likely early Monday afternoon, according to city officials.
People in the Pearl District, who have been eager to see the fire-damaged building come down, are bracing for impact.
Demolition day nears as Centennial Mills fire takes toll on Portland’s Pearl District
“How long does this kind of last and what’s the air quality going to be like,” asked Pearl District resident Devin Kennedy. “We just want to make sure that we’re safe, make sure our dogs are safe as well, so just doing the necessary precautions.”
“We’ve heard a lot of rumors about asbestos and just air quality as [Devin],” said Courtney France Kennedy. “So, just making sure that we’re masked up and just getting all the tips and tricks, closing our windows, [and] making sure we’re safe.”
While crews have not given a specific time for when the main event will happen, the city said there will be warning ahead of time.
According to the city, area residents can expect a text alert roughly an hour before the first explosives go off, and the contractor will then ensure the area within 300 feet of the building is clear of people.
Sirens will then sound both three minutes before the blasts and again one minute before. That will be followed by a verbal five-second countdown and then four simultaneous blasts.
City officials said another public alert message will be sent out when that stage of demolition is complete.
The public alerts are not just meant to let people prepare for the sound of explosions, but also to urge people to stay inside and avoid the area as crews warn the dust created in the blast could be hazardous. The city said to seek medical help if needed.
City officials could not answer just how long people should expect to stay indoors after the blasts; they said it just depends on how the building reacts.
If people do need to leave their home soon after detonation, crews urge them to wear an N-95 mask and take steps to not track any dust back into the home.
With weeks before demolition may be complete and an investigation on hold until then, people in the Pearl are urging city leaders to keep them in the loop.
“A lot of the communication that we’ve had has come from our leasing office of the building that we live in, which has been helpful, but just knowing exactly when it’s gonna happen, a lot of that information we’ve had to seek out ourselves,” said Courtney.
“I get you can’t predict the future, but I think it would be nice to have a little more communication of what’s happening,” said area resident Chris Conley.
If all goes to plan, the city said once the water tower is removed, crews will begin to dismantle the remaining walls. It could take up to two weeks for the building to be brought down to half its height, according to the city.
For those who live in the area and would like to be sure alerts are sent to your phone or email, the city said to sign up for the public alert system through publicalerts.org.
City officials said there will be more specific details on Monday’s demolition timeline Monday morning.
Those who find the sound of the blasts distressing can call the 988 crisis hotline.
The city said the public can stay updated here: Portland.gov/Centennial-Mills