Seafood Plant Fire Triggers Evacuations Over Ammonia Fears in Oregon

WHO:

KATU - Newport Mayor Jan Kaplan, City Manager Nina Avett, Newport Fire Chief Rob Murphy, and city Public Information Officer John Fuller discussed the response.

KATU - Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said her agency mobilized a state hazmat team; the Oregon State Fire Marshal and Newport Fire Department were investigating the fire’s cause.

KATU - Pacific Seafood said all team members on site were safe and accounted for. Its vice president of Resource Sales and Processing, Ashton Meier, said the company expected a “major loss.”

NBC News - City spokesperson John Fuller said 30 to 40 people were in or near the facility when the fire occurred; Pacific Seafood said all team members were accounted for.

KATU - One firefighter was hospitalized for exhaustion, according to Ruiz-Temple. Officials reported no other injuries.

WHAT:

KATU - A large fire broke out at Pacific Seafood’s Newport facility, a building used to freeze and refrigerate seafood. The building partially collapsed, but crews contained the fire and prevented it from spreading to other businesses.

NBC News - Level 3 evacuations were ordered within a one-mile radius because of potential ammonia contamination; some zones were later reduced to Level 2.

KATU - Officials said small traces of ammonia were detected in smoke at non-harmful levels. Crews mitigated the fire risk to two ammonia tanks; officials did not believe a tank had ruptured.

KATU - The facility remained shut down. The city reported no noticeable impact on marine life, and Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital was operating normally.

KATU - Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said on X that the state would provide resources to support local fire crews.

WHERE:

KATU - The fire was at Pacific Seafood, 203 SW Bay Boulevard, on Newport’s historic Bayfront in Newport, Oregon.

KATU - Evacuations were narrowed to businesses on Bay Boulevard between Hatfield Drive and Port Dock One. An evacuation shelter was moved from Sam Case Elementary to Atonement Lutheran Church, 2315 N Coast Hwy, and later closed.

WHEN:

KATU - Ruiz-Temple said crews received the fire call at 8:30 a.m.

NBC News - Authorities responded shortly before 11 a.m. local time; the sheriff’s office reported some evacuation zones reduced at 2 p.m.

WHY:

KATU - Evacuations were ordered over concerns about possible ammonia contamination from an anhydrous-ammonia refrigeration tank at the plant.

KATU - Officials said structural collapse during firefighting could puncture a tank and release ammonia; they did not believe any tank had ruptured.

NBC News - The cause of the fire was not known.

HOW:

KATU - Fire crews, a state hazmat team, and regional fire and emergency-management agencies responded. A Lane County strike team and a Marion County task force with extra engines and a ladder truck were expected to assist.

KATU - Hazmat crews conducted plume modeling and air monitoring. The city advised people to stay inside and wear masks if they went outdoors.

(UPDATED October 26, 2026 04:08 UTC)

A major fire at Pacific Seafood’s Newport facility partially collapsed the building, but crews contained the flames and kept them from spreading to nearby businesses. The plant, used to freeze and refrigerate seafood, remained shut down, and the company said everyone on site was safe and accounted for. One firefighter was hospitalized for exhaustion; officials reported no other injuries. Authorities ordered evacuations because the facility’s ammonia refrigeration system could pose a risk if a tank were damaged during the collapse. Hazmat teams monitored the air and modeled the smoke plume, detecting only small, non-harmful traces of ammonia. Officials did not believe a tank had ruptured, and evacuation orders were narrowed to businesses along part of Bay Boulevard. The hospital operated normally, and the city reported no noticeable effects on marine life. The fire’s cause remained under investigation, while Oregon’s governor pledged state support for local crews.