Oregon City Newport on high alert, issues evacuation order over possible ammonia leak

A coastal city in Oregon issued evacuations after a fire erupted at a seafood wholesaler Sunday morning and there was concern the smoke contained ammonia. The City of Newport issued the order for a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius around a Pacific Seafood processing plant and set up a shelter at a local church. City officials urged residents and visitors to stay indoors and to wear a mask outside.

The city, located about 132 miles southwest of Portland, Oregon, has a population of about 10,000 people. Its bayfront is a popular tourist attraction featuring restaurants, shops, and tours.

Ammonia is a colorless gas with a sharp odor. High levels of exposure can cause skin, eye and throat irritation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

John Fuller, the public information officer for the city, told The Associated Press it is not clear what caused the fire. No injuries have been reported, and crews were still at the scene. Officials were investigating the potential of ammonia contamination in the air due to chemicals at the seafood processing plant, Fuller said.

Fuller said the radius includes businesses as well as residences and makes up a “pretty good chunk” of the small town. A shelter originally set up at the Sam Case Elementary School was moved further north away from the plant to the Atonement Lutheran Church as a precaution.

Pacific Seafood is a wholesaler and manufacturer that handles fishing, processing and the 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.”

She and her husband didn't smell anything off in the air and haven’t evacuated, but they were monitoring the wind to make sure it doesn’t 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, and the sea lions could be heard barking as usual.