A large fire that tore through a Southeast Portland textile manufacturing facility Monday morning was set by an arsonist, fire officials said.
The blaze, reported about 3:30 a.m., caused severe damage at the Portland Garment Factory, 408 S.E. 79th Ave., Portland Fire & Rescue said in a statement.
The first firefighters on the scene saw flames coming from the second story of the building and quickly made their way inside to fight the blaze, officials said.
They soon saw signs that the roof was becoming unstable, though, and had to pull back and fight the fire from the exterior before large sections of the roof collapsed. The fire was brought under control but not before significant damage.
The Portland Garment Factory is a small, woman-owned collective aimed at “upending the traditional factory model,” according to its website, with a focus on ethical labor practices and environmental sustainability.
The factory, which has been in business for more than a decade, has clients large and small, ranging from Nike and Adidas to the Portland Japanese Garden and Olympia Provisions.
When the pandemic took hold in early 2020, owner and founder Britt Howard changed course and began making masks to help with a nationwide shortage of protective equipment.
“I’m getting emails from doctors that they don’t have what they need,” Howard said at the time. “It’s ridiculous. Let’s get them the masks.”
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Howard and the workers at the factory were “heartbroken” by the fire, which left the building “destroyed,” the business said in an Instagram post.
“We are completely devastated,” the business wrote. “So many memories were made at this magic space.”
A fundraising page set up to help the business recover had raised more than $40,000 as of Tuesday morning.
Video released by Portland Fire & Rescue shows a person rummaging in a dumpster next to the building early Monday morning. Seconds later, flames can be seen licking from the top of the bin as the person, dressed in a baggy hooded sweatshirt, walks away.
Fire Chief Sara Boone acknowledged the loss, both to the business and to the larger community.
“This fire started in a dumpster, yet the harm spread to a close-knit community,” Boone said in a statement. “This is a traumatic and devastating loss for the business owner, the property owner, and the team of employees who embraced the innovation and creative niche of the Portland Garment Factory, and the community itself.”
Fire officials asked anyone who recognizes the arson suspect or who has information about the incident to contact investigators at 503-823-4636.
-- Kale Williams; kwilliams@oregonian.com; 503-294-4048; @sfkale
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Massive fire that gutted Portland Garment Factory was arson, officials say - OregonLive
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