Residents and visitors to a small coastal Oregon town were evacuated Sunday when a fire broke out at a seafood production plant and there were fears that ammonia tanks could rupture and send dangerous amounts of the chemical into the air.
The Pacific Seafood fire shut down Newport’s popular Bayport neighborhood. Firefighters swarmed the factory and managed to keep the flames away from the tanks, but continued to battle the blaze Sunday evening.
The city of Newport initially issued an evacuation order for a 1.6-kilometer radius around the plant over concerns that smoke from the fire contained ammonia. Authorities then narrowed the evacuation zone to a few blocks surrounding the plant after determining the ammonia tanks were stable.
The city, located about 130 miles southwest of Portland, Oregon, has a population of about 10,000. Its waterfront is a popular tourist attraction offering restaurants, shopping and tours.
Ammonia is a colorless gas with a pungent odor. High levels of exposure can cause irritation to the skin, eyes and throat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
John Fuller, the city’s public information officer, told The Associated Press that the cause of the fire was unclear.
About 30 to 40 people were in the building when the fire broke out, Fuller said at a news conference Sunday afternoon. One firefighter was taken to the hospital for exhaustion, Fire Chief Rob Murphy said, but no other injuries were reported.
Pacific Seafood is a wholesaler and manufacturer engaged in the fishing, processing and distribution of seafood across the country. One of its processing plants sits along Yaquina Bay, near a pier where sea lions congregate.
Ashton Meier, Pacific Seafood’s vice president of sales and resource processing, said the company expects a significant loss.
“We are incredibly grateful and happy to report that all of our team members on scene are safe and sound and at this time we are not aware of any injuries to any other individuals in the area,” Meier said in a statement Sunday evening.
Fuller said the initial 1-mile radius included businesses as well as residences and was a “pretty good portion” of the small town. A shelter originally set up at Sam Case Elementary School was moved further north from the plant to Atonement Lutheran Church as a precaution.
Shelly Heim was at home in Newport when she heard sirens and saw smoke coming from the nearby seafood factory. Flames were shooting from the roof, she said. She and her husband didn’t smell anything in the air and didn’t evacuate, but were watching the wind to make sure it didn’t change direction and blow the smoke toward them.
“It’s heartbreaking,” the 59-year-old real estate agent said, adding that Newport has a strong harbor and fishing community and Pacific Seafood is an important employment location. “It’s a major asset. I hope they can rebuild.”
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