Seafood Plant Fire in Newport, Oregon, Prompts Evacuations Over Ammonia Concerns

A fire at a seafood processing plant in the coastal Oregon city of Newport led to evacuations on Sunday, as officials worried that ammonia tanks on the site might rupture and release hazardous amounts of the chemical into the air.

The blaze at Pacific Seafood shut down the popular Bayport area of Newport. Firefighters rushed to the plant and managed to keep the flames away from the tanks, though crews were still fighting the fire into Sunday evening.

The city first ordered an evacuation of everyone within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius of the plant, out of concern that the smoke might contain ammonia. After determining that the ammonia tanks were stable, officials reduced the zone to a couple of blocks around the facility.

Newport sits roughly 132 miles (212 kilometers) southwest of Portland and has about 10,000 residents. Its bayfront draws tourists with restaurants, shops and tours. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ammonia is a colorless gas with a sharp odor, and heavy exposure can irritate the skin, eyes and throat.

City public information officer John Fuller told The Associated Press that the cause of the fire is not yet known. He said at a Sunday afternoon news conference that about 30 to 40 people were inside the building when the fire started. Fire Chief Rob Murphy said one firefighter was taken to a hospital for exhaustion, and no other injuries were reported.

Fuller said the original 1-mile radius covered both businesses and homes and amounted to a "pretty good chunk" of the small town. As a precaution, a shelter first opened at Sam Case Elementary School was relocated farther north, away from the plant, to Atonement Lutheran Church.

Pacific Seafood is a wholesaler and manufacturer involved in fishing, processing and distributing seafood nationwide. Its Newport plant is on Yaquina Bay, near a dock where sea lions gather. Ashton Meier, the company's vice president of resource sales and processing, said Pacific Seafood expects a major loss. In a Sunday evening statement, he said: "We are incredibly thankful and glad to report that all of our team members on site are safe and accounted for and that at this time we are not aware of any injuries to others in the area."

Shelly Heim, a 59-year-old real estate agent, was at home in Newport when she heard sirens and saw smoke rising from the nearby plant. She said flames were shooting from the roof. She and her husband noticed no unusual smell and did not leave, but they kept an eye on the wind in case it shifted and carried smoke toward them.

Heim described the situation as "heartbreaking," noting that Newport has a strong working port and fishing community and that Pacific Seafood is a major employer. "It's a big asset. Hopefully they can rebuild," she said.