One-mile order covers residences and businesses; fire cause unclear

The City of Newport, Oregon, moved its evacuation shelter from Sam Case Elementary School to Atonement Lutheran Church farther north, away from the Pacific Seafood processing plant where a fire erupted Sunday morning. The relocation farther from the plant was a precaution.

Newport’s evacuation order covered a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius around the plant amid concern that the smoke contained ammonia, and the city set up a shelter at a local church. City officials urged residents and visitors to stay indoors and wear a mask outside. John Fuller, the city’s public information officer, said the radius included businesses as well as residences and made up a “pretty good chunk” of the small town.

Fuller also said it was not clear what caused the fire. No injuries had been reported, and crews were still at the scene. Officials were investigating the potential for ammonia contamination in the air due to chemicals at the seafood processing plant, Fuller said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ammonia is a colorless gas with a sharp odor, and high levels of exposure can cause skin, eye and throat irritation.

Newport, a coastal city about 132 miles (212 kilometers) southwest of Portland, Oregon, has a population of about 10,000 people. Its bayfront is a popular tourist attraction featuring restaurants, shops and tours.

Pacific Seafood is a wholesaler and manufacturer that handles fishing, processing and distribution of seafood across the country. One of its processing plants sits along the city’s Yaquina Bay, near a dock where sea lions gather.

Shelly Heim was at her home in Newport when she heard sirens and saw smoke coming from the nearby seafood plant. Flames were shooting from the roof, she said. “It’s heartbreaking,” the 59-year-old real estate agent said, adding that Newport has a strong working port and fishing community and that Pacific Seafood serves as a big place of employment. “It’s a big asset. Hopefully they can rebuild.”

Heim and her husband had not smelled anything off in the air and had not evacuated, but they were monitoring the wind to make sure it did not change direction and blow the smoke toward them. Some locals were concerned about the sea lions, but they seemed unfazed, Heim said. She took a video of smoke billowing from the plant while the sea lions could be heard barking as usual.