First Responders in Action: Newport Fire

Oregon State Fire Marshal Post

* Oregon.gov Newsroom report

On National First Responders Day we want to thank the firefighters, hazmat teams, EMTs, police officers, and dispatchers who show up when people need them most, often in difficult and unpredictable conditions. 

That includes the teams who responded to the recent fire at a seafood processing plant in Newport. A post shared by the Oregon State Fire Marshal shows a CWS vehicle weather station deployed there. 

The official Oregon.gov Newsroom reported, “The Oregon State Fire Marshal has mobilized several resources to help first responders, including a hazmat team, to a large fire at Pacific Seafood in Newport. The fire was first reported on Sunday morning. State Hazmat Team 05, Linn-Benton, responded because of the presence of anhydrous ammonia, used in refrigeration, at the facility. The team is using specialized equipment to monitor the air and is modeling where there may be impacts to help with evacuations.” (emphasis added)*

Thankfully, firefighters were able to keep the flames at bay, allowing the evacuation zone to be reduced from a mile to a few blocks. Latest reports show the ammonia tanks were stable with no evidence of leaks.

That’s the kind of work first responders are equipped for. Oregon State Fire Marshal manages 12 Hazardous Emergency Response Teams across the state. Each team is outfitted with apparatus that includes weather stations from Columbia Weather Systems and PEAC hazmat software for plume modeling.

Thank you to the crews in Newport and to first responders everywhere.