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A two-alarm fire broke out at the shuttered grain elevator near the Rose Quarter on Saturday night, where piles of shredded tires spewed flames and black smoke in 2023.
This time, the fire was inside the elevator, on the second and third floors, according to Portland Fire & Rescue. Crews responded at 7:44 pm and controlled the blaze by 8:15 pm.
A fire investigator is examining the scene because of reports of suspicious activity. One person of interest has been detained for questioning. No injuries were reported.
The elevator, once owned by Louis Dreyfus Co., transferred grain to ships from trains arriving from Pacific Northwest fields. Its current owner, Castle Arden 1 LLC, used the land around the terminal to pile up shredded tires for shipment to Asia, where they were burned for fuel. Those shipments ended shortly after a three-story pile of rubber burst into flames in May 2023 and reignited several times before being snuffed out.
Castle Arden is controlled by Beau Blixseth, the son of Oregon timber baron Tim Blixseth, who started the ultra-posh Yellowstone Club in Montana, and Chandos Mahon, who owns Castle Tire Recycling in North Portland.
Castle Arden paid $2.9 million for the property in February 2021. Last July, Castle Arden listed it for sale at $6.5 million. Now, the asking price is $4.9. million.
Neither Blixseth nor Mahon returned messages seeking comment.
The elevator is located in Albina Vision Trust’s master plan for redevelopment of the 100 acres surrounding the property, the listing for it says. It also includes the largest billboard in Portland, the listing says. For years, the words “Amazon.com wouldn’t fit here” were painted on the side. More recently, it has advertised the Portland Timbers.