There was no longer a threat of ammonia contamination, officials said Sunday afternoon, after urging people to evacuate over fears of potential health risks following a fire at a seafood processing plant on the Oregon coast.
Authorities responded to the fire at Pacific Seafood, a major seafood processing and distribution plant, in the Bayfront neighborhood of the city of Newport, just before 9 a.m., city spokesman John Fuller said at an afternoon news conference.
As of 4 p.m. local time, authorities said there was no threat of ammonia contamination. The state fire marshal said an ammonia tank was found and it did not appear to be punctured or leaking.
Newport Fire Chief Rob Murphy said at the news conference that while traces of ammonia were initially detected, there was no ongoing risk of ammonia exposure.
“Between all the firefighters and our regional hazmat team, they’ve done a great job of protecting these tanks and keeping them from, you know, preventing something worse from happening,” Murphy said. “I can tell you that the tanks are intact, they are not leaking. The product they contain is stable and will remain so.”
As of Sunday afternoon, he said, the main environmental concern was smoke produced by the fire, which was still burning. There was still a small evacuation zone stretching for blocks near the fire, he said.
The fire had previously triggered “level 3” evacuations, meaning “extreme danger in area”, for people within a 1 mile radius of the plant. The city said the evacuation was “precautionary, at risk of a larger leak or spill.”
Ammonia is a clear, toxic gas or liquid, and exposure to high levels can damage the skin, eyes, throat and lungs, while exposure to very high levels can cause lung damage or death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The city previously recommended people stay indoors and wear masks if they are outdoors. A shelter was set up at the Atonement Lutheran Church for the displaced people.
The city had no impact on marine life as of Sunday evening.
Photos and videos from the scene show thick smoke rising from a blue-painted building and fire trucks dousing it with water.
Fuller said no injuries have been reported so far and there were between 30 and 40 people in or near the establishment at the time of the incident. He explained that during the peak tourist season, in summer, there can be up to 200 people in the area.
One firefighter was treated for exhaustion, the city said.
Newport Mayor Jan Kaplan described Pacific Seafood as a vital part of the city’s economy and a “major employer.”
Fuller, the city spokesman, said the fire started at a freezing facility where seafood is stored and did not spread to the main plant.
Ashton Meier, Pacific Seafood’s vice president of sales and resource processing, said in a statement that the company was “devastated” by the fire and expects “this to be a major loss.”
“As a family-owned business, we deeply value our employees and our community,” Meier said. “We are eternally grateful for the assistance of emergency responders today and thank them for all their efforts. We are incredibly grateful and pleased to report that all of our team members on scene are safe and have been accounted for and at this time we are not aware of any injuries to anyone else in the area.”
Meier said the company will work with public safety officials to determine the cause of the fire and any hazards.
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