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No risk of ammonia contamination, officials say, after fire at Oregon seafood plant prompted evacuations
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- A fire broke out at Pacific Seafood’s processing plant in Newport, Oregon, prompting a precautionary evacuation within a 1-mile radius due to concerns about ammonia contamination.
- Officials later confirmed there was no ongoing ammonia leak or threat, as the ammonia tanks were intact and stable, though trace amounts were initially detected.
- The main hazard remained smoke from the still-burning fire, with a small evacuation zone still in place, and no injuries reported except one firefighter treated for exhaustion.
- Pacific Seafood described the incident as a major loss but confirmed all employees on site were safe and accounted for; the fire started in a freezer facility and did not spread to the main plant.
- Authorities and the company are investigating the cause of the fire, while the city noted no impacts to marine life and emphasized the plant's importance to the local economy.
