A Wednesday Morning Fire Has Drastically Damaged Legendary Food Cart Pod Portland Mercado | Eater Portland

"A two-alarm fire early Wednesday morning seriously damaged the central building of the Portland Mercado food pod and shopping center: Portland Fire & Rescue arrived just after 5:30 a.m. following reports of “explosions,” discovered active fire hidden in odd void spaces within the ceiling that required a second alarm and sawing through the roof, and extinguished the blaze after about 30 minutes; the building was unoccupied and no injuries were reported. The fire began around 3 a.m. and caused extensive damage to all businesses within, forcing the eight food carts to close until further notice due to loss of power and water even though the carts themselves were not directly damaged. The Mercado has served as a venue for cultural events, been frequently featured on Eater as a standout food pod, and its Instagram post said, “Today we are heartbroken.” Hacienda CDC, the developer behind the Mercado, is organizing a Portland Mercado Fire Relief Fund and is accepting donations as they work to reopen the pod." - Nathan Williams