NEWPORT, Ore — Multiple agencies are on the scene of a large structure fire at the Pacific Seafood facility in Newport’s historic Bayfront neighborhood, prompting a major emergency response.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has issued Level 2 and 3 evacuations within a one-mile radius of the facility, located at 203 SW Bay Boulevard. Crews have since increased evacuation levels in all areas except Bay Blvd. between Hatfield Drive and Port Dock One. Businesses in this area are still evacuated.
An evacuation shelter was first set up at Sam Case Elementary School and was moved to Atonement Lutheran Church at 2315 N Coast Hwy as wind patterns changed. The evacuation point at Atonement Lutheran Church is now closed, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
“We have greatly reduced these evacuation zones here for our community thanks to our fire department and the 18 fire departments and emergency management teams that came here to help,” said John Fuller, public information officer for the city of Newport.
According to the city of Newport, the evacuation was due to potential ammonia contamination.
Mariana Ruiz-Temple, Oregon State Fire Marshal, said crews first received the call about the fire at 8:30 a.m., prompting her agency to mobilize a state hazardous materials team because of concerns about an on-site tank of anhydrous ammonia, a potentially dangerous chemical used for refrigeration.
The fire sent plumes of thick, white smoke over the area, which filled the air with what many described as a pungent, burning smell of burning plastic.
“It was very gray and gloomy, but then you could see white clouds of fire smoke coming from the bay as you crossed the bridge,” said Cathie Rigby, a Newport resident who helped with the emergency response.
City officials said small traces of ammonia were present in the smoke early Sunday morning, but at non-harmful levels.
The fire broke out in a building used to freeze and cold store seafood, according to city authorities. Firefighters were able to contain the fire, ensuring it did not spread to other businesses.
Newport city officials said fire crews mitigated the fire risk to the plant’s two ammonia tanks. The building partially collapsed, according to Newport Fire Chief Rob Murphy.
The main risk to the tanks, Ruiz-Temple said, is the possibility of structural collapse caused by ongoing efforts to extinguish the fire. “The concern would be if this happened above the tank itself or near the tank and punctures could cause a leak, so that’s our number one concern,” she said. At last check, authorities did not believe a tank had ruptured.
Additional fire department resources are heading to Newport to support local crews through the night and into Monday. The state fire marshal’s office confirmed that a response team from Lane County would arrive in the morning and a task force from Marion County would bring additional engines and a ladder truck to ease the burden on exhausted firefighters.
Oregon State Fire Marshal photo of crews on scene.
“We have additional resources in case of a fire in the evening and we are maintaining our national hazardous materials teams to conduct plume modeling if necessary as well as air monitoring,” Ruiz-Temple said.
Approximately 30 to 40 people were inside the building at the time of the fire and all were found by Pacific Seafood, according to Chief Murphy.
According to the city of Newport, no injuries have been reported at this time, but one firefighter was sent to the hospital for exhaustion, Ruiz-Temple said. There is no official cause as to what started the fire.
“The fire investigation portion will be conducted once we have successfully extinguished the fire and checked the stability of the building to make sure it is safe enough for fire investigators to enter the building,” Chief Murphy said.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal said crews would continue to monitor air quality and ongoing health risks, and the city advised people to wear masks if they must go out.
The city of Newport said there has been no noticeable impact on marine life.
Volunteers and local organizations provided food, hot meals, water and English and Spanish translation while evacuation orders were issued. Rigby noted, “Some of our unhoused population has also joined us because, you know, they’re outside and breathing this dangerous air as well. »
City Manager Nina Avett and Mayor Jan Kaplan, along with the Oregon State Fire Marshal, credited the broad regional response from neighboring fire departments, the Coast Guard and local agencies for helping to bring the situation under control.
The facility, an important part of Newport’s port economy, remains closed and many city residents are worried about what’s next.
“As soon as I heard who it was, I was a little heartbroken because they are very critical,” Rigby said. We have a working bay. They are right in the center of the entire hub and the activity that takes place there.
“They are a major employer, especially for my community, the Latino community,” Rigby continued. “It’s a major employer, so I know a lot of families and community members here depend on this work, and so they’re vital to our community, and a hit like this is difficult, not only for the company, but for the entire community.
Shirley Kind of Food Share of Lincoln County said her organization and others quickly prepared emergency food boxes and offered to help, although she noted the long-term impact was not yet clear.
“The fact that this plant or this operation was shut down is just going to be inconceivable,” King said.
In a statement to KATU, Ashton Meier, vice president of sales and resource processing, said:
“Pacific Seafood is devastated by today’s fire in Newport. While we are still working with emergency responders to determine the full extent of the damage, we expect this to be a significant loss.
As a family-owned business, we deeply value our employees and our community. We are forever grateful for the help of the emergency responders today and thank them for all their efforts. We are incredibly grateful and happy to report that all of our team members on scene are safe and missing and at this time we are not aware of any injuries to anyone else in the area.
Our focus moving forward will be to support our team members, our neighbors and the people of Newport. In the days ahead, we will continue to work with public safety officials to ensure they have the access and information necessary to determine the cause of the fire, the extent of the damage, and any lingering hazards or effects.
We appreciate everyone who took action, showed support, or contacted us today.
Fire at Pacific Seafood prompts Level 3 evacuations.
Governor Kotek released a statement on X saying, “We are closely monitoring the Pacific Seafood fire in Newport. Thank you to the first responders who work tirelessly to protect lives and property. The state will continue to provide all necessary resources to support local fire crews on the ground.”
The Oregon State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire with assistance from the Newport Fire Department, according to Fuller.
Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital is operating normally, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said updates will be posted on LINCALERTS. The notice was posted at 10:13 a.m. on Sunday, October 25.
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