No risk of ammonia contamination, officials say, after fire at Oregon seafood plant

Evacuations were underway in coastal Oregon due to potential ammonia contamination after a seafood processing plant caught fire Sunday.

Authorities responded to the blaze at the address for Pacific Seafood, a major seafood processing and distribution plant, in the city of Newport’s Bayfront neighborhood shortly before 11 a.m. local time, the Lincoln County Oregon Emergency Management Office said on social media.

Level 3 evacuations — meaning there is “extreme danger in the area” and locals should leave immediately — were in place for those within a 1-mile radius of the plant “due to a potential ammonia contamination in the area from the plant,” the city of Newport said on social media earlier Sunday afternoon.

Some evacuation zones in the original area were reduced to Level 2, meaning “Be ready,” the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said at 2 p.m.

Ammonia is a toxic clear gas or liquid, and exposure to high levels can hurt 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.

“We recommend staying inside if you are in Newport today. If you must go outside, you should wear a mask,” the city said in an update around 10:30 a.m.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal said Sunday afternoon that an ammonia tank had been found and that it didn’t seem to be punctured or leaking.

A shelter was set up at Atonement Lutheran Church for the displaced.

Photos and video from the scene show heavy smoke rising from a blue-painted building and fire trucks dousing it with water.

John Fuller, a spokesperson for the city, said no injuries were reported thus far and that there were 30 to 40 people in or near the facility at the time of the incident. He said that during peak tourist season in the summer there can typically be as many as 200 people in the area.

It’s unclear what caused the fire, he said, and firefighters are actively working to put it out.

A hazmat team was also on site to look at potential ammonia contamination in the area, he said.

Pacific Seafood said it was not aware of any reported injuries and that all its team members were accounted for.

“We are incredibly grateful for and actively working with first responders to make sure everything is handled with the necessary caution and care,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “We will work closely with appropriate authorities to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident once the immediate response is complete.”