Newport lifts most evacuations after fire at Pacific Seafood plant; Bay Boulevard businesses still out (Oct. 25)
Updated: 5 hours ago
This is a developing story. Updated 7:55 p.m. PT Oct. 25.
Quick Read
A large fire broke out Sunday morning, Oct. 25, at a Pacific Seafood plant on Newport's Bayfront, and Newport Fire Chief Rob Murphy confirmed ammonia was in the smoke, according to the Lincoln Chronicle.
Firefighters contained the fire and kept it from spreading to other businesses, City of Newport officials said, according to KATU. Crews from Lane and Marion counties are headed in to help through the night and into Monday.
The plant's ammonia tank was found and does not appear to be punctured or leaking, Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive.
By Sunday evening, evacuations had been lifted everywhere except Bay Boulevard between Hatfield Drive and Port Dock One, where businesses remain evacuated, KATU reported.
Highway 20 is closed from West Harney Street to Highway 101, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office as reported by KPTV.
The evacuation point at Atonement Lutheran Church has closed, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office as reported by KATU.
The city is advising Newport residents to stay indoors, or wear a mask if they must go outside. The city said no injuries have been reported, though one firefighter was taken to the hospital for exhaustion, State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said, according to KATU. All 30 to 40 people inside the plant were accounted for.
NEWPORT, Ore. - Firefighters have contained a large fire at a Pacific Seafood plant on Newport's Bayfront, where officials first ordered everyone within a mile to leave because of a possible ammonia release before lifting nearly all evacuations by Sunday evening, according to the Statesman Journal, KCBY and the Lincoln Chronicle.
The fire was reported at 8:20 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, according to PulsePoint as cited by the Statesman Journal. The Lincoln Chronicle reported that Newport firefighters were dispatched at 8:51 a.m. and quickly called in help from departments across Lincoln County, with 40 firefighters on scene by mid-morning.
Reports have given different street numbers for the plant on Bay Boulevard: 213 SW Bay Blvd. (Statesman Journal, KPTV, KLCC), 203 SW Bay Blvd. (KCBY, KATU) and 245 SE Bay Blvd. (Lincoln Chronicle).
Evacuations and shelter
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office first ordered a Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation for a one-mile radius around the plant in a 10:13 a.m. notice, KATU reported. In a 2:09 p.m. update, the sheriff's office said it had added some Level 3 zones and reduced some zones in the original area to Level 2 (Be Ready).
Shortly before 2 p.m. the evacuation area was narrowed to a slice of the city radiating northeast of the Bayfront, the Lincoln Chronicle reported. "It is not a mandatory evacuation, but we do recommend it," city spokesperson John Fuller told the Chronicle. "Otherwise we are asking all Newport residents to shelter in place as a safety precaution."
By 4 p.m. the evacuation area was limited to several blocks around the fire site, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. At about 3:30 p.m. officials said crews had reduced the risk of an ammonia tank leak and cut the zone to a couple of blocks because of smoke, KPTV reported.
By Sunday evening, crews had lifted evacuation levels in all areas except Bay Boulevard between Hatfield Drive and Port Dock One, where businesses are still evacuated, KATU reported. "We have greatly reduced those evacuation zones here for our community thanks to our fire department and the 18 fire departments and emergency management teams that have come here to assist," city spokesperson John Fuller said, according to KATU.
Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, at the edge of the evacuation zone, said evacuating the hospital was not necessary "due to prevailing wind conditions and the low risk of chemical involvement," according to KLCC and the Lincoln Chronicle.
The sheriff's office said in a 2:09 p.m. update that the evacuation point has moved from Sam Case Elementary School to Atonement Lutheran Church, 2315 N. Coast Highway, and that evacuees may bring their pets. Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, 930 SW Abbey St., remains open and operating as usual, the sheriff's office said. The Lincoln County School District closed its Newport schools to the public Sunday out of an abundance of caution, the Lincoln Chronicle reported.
The evacuation point at Atonement Lutheran Church is now closed, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, KATU reported. Newport Fire Chief Rob Murphy said the building partially collapsed, KATU reported, and the Oregon State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause with help from the Newport Fire Department.
The sheriff's office said updates will be posted through LINCALERTS and asked the public to call 911 only for life-threatening emergencies, KATU reported. Authorities also urged people to stay away from the Bayfront and not try to enter near SW Hatfield Drive, according to KCBY.
The sheriff's office also closed Highway 20 from West Harney Street to Highway 101, KPTV reported.
Ammonia and the fire
Newport Fire Chief Rob Murphy confirmed there was ammonia in the smoke but was unsure to what degree, the Lincoln Chronicle reported. The acrid smoke and the threat from ammonia prompted the evacuation, and Murphy said part of the plant's roof had collapsed. "It's going to be a long operation," Murphy told the Lincoln Chronicle.
A regional hazardous materials team sent by the Oregon State Fire Marshal arrived around 11:30 a.m., city spokesperson John Fuller told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Fuller said firefighters were still working to put out the fire but had made significant progress, and that as of 12:45 p.m. first responders had not detected any confirmation that ammonia had been released. He said no one was reported injured.
"The ammonia tank has been found and, thankfully, doesn't appear to be punctured or leaking. Our team is on the ground and will remain in Newport through the duration of the incident," State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said in a news release, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
Gov. Tina Kotek said on X that the state is closely monitoring the fire and "will continue to provide all resources necessary to support local fire teams on the ground," KATU reported. Pacific Seafood said in a statement that it was not aware of any injuries and that all of its employees were accounted for, according to KATU and the Lincoln Chronicle.
The fire started in a building used to freeze and keep seafood cold, and firefighters contained it and kept it from spreading to other businesses, City of Newport officials said, according to KATU. City officials said crews had reduced the fire risk to the plant's two ammonia tanks and that small traces of ammonia found in the smoke early Sunday were at non-harmful levels. The city also said there have been no noticeable impacts to marine life.
Ruiz-Temple said the main remaining risk is a structural collapse onto or near a tank during firefighting. "The concern would be that if that does occur over the tank itself or near the tank and it punctures that could cause the release and so that is our number one concern," she said, KATU reported.
The State Fire Marshal's office said a strike team from Lane County will arrive Monday morning and a Marion County task force is bringing extra engines and a ladder truck to relieve local crews, according to KATU. "We have additional fire resources coming in through the evening and we're maintaining our state hazmat teams to do that plume modeling as necessary and air monitoring as well," Ruiz-Temple said.
Pacific Seafood said in a statement to KATU that it expects the fire "will be a major loss" and that all of its team members on site are safe and accounted for.
The aquarium in Newport announced it would be closed for the rest of the day Sunday, KPTV reported.
The city recommends that people stay inside, or wear a mask if they must go outside, according to the Statesman Journal and KCBY. Newport Fire Chief Rob Murphy said all 30 to 40 people who were inside the building have been accounted for. The city said no injuries have been reported, but one firefighter was taken to the hospital for exhaustion, Ruiz-Temple said, according to KATU.
There is no official cause yet. "The fire investigation part will be conducted after we've been able to put the fire out and checked on the stability of the building to make sure it's safe enough for fire investigators to enter the building," Murphy said, KATU reported.
The city's emergency information page lists the non-emergency dispatch line as 541-265-4231. Call 911 for emergencies.
Sources
Statesman Journal: Evacuation ordered in Newport for ammonia contamination after fire (Oct. 25, 2026)
The Oregonian/OregonLive: Seafood facility fire prompts evacuations in Newport (Oct. 25, 2026)
Lincoln Chronicle: Newport shrinks evacuation areas as firefighters battle stubborn Pacific Seafood blaze (Oct. 25, 2026)
KCBY: Evacuations ordered in mile radius of Newport fire for potential ammonia contamination (Oct. 25, 2026)
KATU: Fire contained at Pacific Seafood blaze; evacuations lifted over potential ammonia threat (Oct. 25, 2026)
KLCC: Newport shrinks evacuation areas as firefighters battle stubborn Pacific Seafood blaze (Oct. 25, 2026)
KPTV: Crews battle large fire at Pacific Seafood plant on Newport Bayfront; evacuation zone reduced (Oct. 25, 2026)
Lincoln County Sheriff's Office: Structure fire at 213 SW Bay Blvd, Newport, Update 03 (Oct. 25, 2026)
City of Newport: Emergency information
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