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Police dogs have identified the “potential presence of human remains” inside Centennial Mills, according to Portland fire officials.
On Thursday, Portland Fire & Rescue conducted two sweeps of the century-old building, which was gutted last weekend in a massive daytime blaze. A large swath of the Pearl remains cordoned off and closed to vehicle and rail traffic due to the threat of the building’s collapse.
“Both searches resulted in positive alerts, indicating the potential presence of human remains within the rubble inside the building,” reads a statement released late afternoon Friday. “Based on these findings, investigators believe there is a high likelihood that human remains are present within the material inside the structure.”
Portland Fire & Rescue will continue to investigate as demolition work proceeds, according to the statement. “The demolition process is expected to play a critical role in the investigation by removing unstable structural hazards surrounding the area of concern.”
Around 4 pm Sunday, fire ripped through the eight-story building, collapsing every interior level and leaving a smoldering and heavily damaged shell of metal and masonry looming over the Willamette Riverfront between the Fremont and Broadway bridges.
Because the building could collapse, officials have closed Northwest Naito Parkway from 9th to 15th avenues. The nearby freight rail corridor is also affected as Portland Fire & Rescue has established a safety perimeter 150 feet in each direction.
“I cannot provide a timeline for, and will not speculate, how long it will take to restore public access to the areas that are currently off-limits,” Portland Permitting & Development spokesman Ken Ray tells WW.
Also Friday, state Rep. Shannon Isadore (D-Portland) announced she intends to introduce legislation in 2027 that would strengthen oversight of long-vacant and historic structures and “prevent similar tragedies.”
“The recent fire in a vacant building in Northwest Portland along Naito Parkway is another reminder that empty buildings don’t just represent lost opportunity, they can become public safety concerns for our neighborhoods, first responders, and surrounding businesses,” reads her announcement.
Between 2022 and 2025, WW explored the stories of more than 120 vacant properties across the city in a feature called “Chasing Ghosts.” At least three of those structures have gone up in flames.
Constructed in 1911, the Centennial Mills building was once integral to the global trade of wheat, Oregon’s chief export for a time in the early 20th century. But since its purchase in 2000 by the Portland Development Commission—now called Prosper Portland—the aging structure has been the subject of controversy over its possible rehabilitation and redevelopment. Most recently, a developer encountered permitting hurdles in an attempt to convert the space into a nightclub.
On Thursday, building owner Stuart Lindquist was issued a permit to demolish the 116-year-old building. Ray with Portland Permitting & Development says Lindquist has hired a structural engineer and contractor to manage the deconstruction of the building “once it is safe to do so.”
Lindquist was also issued a notification requiring him to immediately disconnect all utilities to the site, maintain 24-hour security to prevent unauthorized access, and provide the city a plan to demolish the building, including the roof-mounted water tank.
The city has given Lindquist until Aug. 14 to begin the process.
Heading into the weekend, Amtrak continued to bus passengers from Seattle to Portland with stops at Amtrak stations along the way. Amtrak typically runs around 16 passenger trains per day on the corridor past Centennial Mills, including the Portland to Spokane and Chicago. Trains were running as normal from Union Station to Eugene.
On the freight side, with a switching terminal located just north of Centennial Mills now inaccessible, the two railroads that use the corridor—Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway—have been diverting railcars outside Portland.
Nearby Fields Park remains temporarily closed as officials work to determine if the popular park is safe from collapse and health risks. City officials say they’re working with federal, state and county authorities to monitor air quality and debris.
