Fire Threatens RAHS North Campus

Firefighters battled the flames from the Rosemary Anderson High School North Campus roof.

On February 7th, around 6 a.m., our community was shaken by the news of a massive fire that engulfed Royce's Prop Shop, a well-known local business and Rosemary Anderson’s North Campus neighbor. The fire quickly spread through the one-story concrete prop shop, with heavy smoke billowing out from a rollup door and flames visible through the roof. Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) responded swiftly and was so intense that they called in additional resources. There were reports of explosions, potentially due to the presence of propane and helium in the building. PF&R escalated the situation to a 4-alarm fire.

Royce Mason is a business owner and a long-time supporter of POIC, making this loss especially poignant for our community. Royce's involvement with POIC + RAHS has been invaluable, and we are deeply grateful for their contributions.

A firefighter emerges from the main entrance of the Rosemary Anderson High School North Campus building.

The fire's proximity to our North High School Campus raised concerns about potential damage and safety issues. Although some glass was shattered, the building itself remained intact, and no one was inside or had to evacuate. Nonetheless, as a precaution, the decision was made to cancel school for the rest of that week. Students were happy to return to their campus on Tuesday, February 20th!

Again, a huge thank you to Portland Fire and Rescue for their efforts to prevent the fire from damaging our school. Royce's Prop Shop continues to do business out of their second warehouse, news we were thrilled to hear.