Portland Names Ken Burns Interim Fire Chief

Burns replaces Chief Erin Janssens, who retires this month.

By Beth Slovic

Portland Commissioner Dan Saltzman on Monday promoted Deputy Chief Ken Burns to interim chief of the city's Fire and Rescue Bureau.

Burns replaces Chief Erin Janssens, who retires this month after a tumultuous three-year tenure as Portland's first female fire bureau chief. Her time at the helm included an episode in which an assistant fire marshal told a downtown sex club how it could ignore potential fire-code violations, and Janssens' own grabbing of a subordinate in a threatening manner during a meeting.

Burns will serve until the bureau appoints a permanent director. He will not be a candidate for the permanent job, says Saltzman.

Burns joined the bureau in 1990.

Willamette Week

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Beth Slovic

Beth Slovic

Beth Slovic joined Willamette Week as a staff writer in 2006, returning in 2014 after a three-year hiatus. She covers politics, immigration and more.

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