Ammonia tank explodes sending toxic fumes spreading over Oregon town

| Freelance News Reporter Published October 25, 2026 9:18pm Updated October 25, 2026 9:18pm Part of a city in Oregon, US has been evacuated over ammonia contamination fears following an explosion at a seafood plant (Picture: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office) Residents have been evacuated after a huge fire caused an explosion at a seafood facility this morning. Footage taken near Pacific Seafood in Newport, Oregon, showed a huge cloud of smoke rising from the plant located near the city’s port on the Yaquina River, home to sea lions. Locals were told to take cover at an elementary school, before the shelter was moved to a Lutheran Church due to safety concerns relating to ammonia contamination. All residents within a one-mile radius of the city of around 10,000 people have been asked to leave their homes, with evacuees told they can bring their pets with them. Shelly Helm, an estate agent, said the incident was ‘heartbreaking’ and that the seafood facility was a large employer in the city, around 130 miles south west of Portland. The 59-year-old said: ‘It’s a big asset. Hopefully they can rebuild.’ Residents within a one-mile radius of the facility on the Yaquina River have been told to evacuate (Picture: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office) Ammonia is a colourless toxic substance which upon exposure can cause irritation, burns, and damage to the skin, eyes, throat, and lungs. John Fuller, the public information officer in the city, said it was as of yet unclear what had caused the explosion. A statement from the local authority said: ‘The City of Newport is evacuating a one-mile radius of Pacific Seafood. ‘A shelter is being set up for evacuees at Sam Case Elementary located at 459 NE 12th St. Evacuees may bring their pets. ‘The evacuation is due to a potential ammonia contamination in the area from the plant. ‘We recommend staying inside if you are in Newport today. If you must go outside, you should wear a mask. Updates will continue to be made on this post.’ Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office added: ‘One important update for those needing the to use the evacuation point, pets are allowed.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: American publishers are ruining the video games industry – Reader’s Feature Arrow MORE: How George Russell and Lewis Hamilton can stop Kimi Antonelli from becoming F1 champion Arrow MORE: We need to talk about the bizarre noises Donald Trump is making News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.