Officials evacuated Newport residents Sunday after a seafood processing plant caught fire, which could have triggered a chemical disaster due to the ammonia stored inside.

In a social media post Sunday morning, the city said it was evacuating residents in a 1-mile radius of Pacific Seafood. Over the course of the day, it gradually pared back the evacuation area as firefighters gained control of the blaze. By 4 p.m. the evacuation area was limited to several blocks around the fire site.

Newport, a central coastal city of some 10,000 people, announced the fire around 9:45 a.m. Sunday after a blaze broke out at the Pacific Seafood facility on the town’s waterfront. Video of the fire shows clouds of billowing white smoke coming from the blue and white building, as firefighters spray water into the facility.

“We recommend staying inside if you are in Newport today,” the city said in a 10:34 a.m. update to their original statement. “If you must go outside, you should wear a mask.”

According to the Lincoln Chronicle, the city put emergency procedures into place and ordered evacuations of homes and businesses within a mile of the plant – including all Port of Newport facilities, its RV park and marina on the south side of Yaquina Bay. The Hatfield Marine Science Center also closed. Businesses shuttered for the day.

City spokesperson John Fuller told The Oregonian/OregonLive that nobody was reported injured during the incident, and as of 12:45 p.m., first responders hadn’t detected any indication that ammonia had been released.

In a separate announcement just before 11 a.m., the Oregon State Fire Marshal said that it is sending a hazmat team to help contain the chemicals in the facility.

Fuller said that the hazmat team arrived around 11:30 a.m., but firefighters and first responders are still working to put out the blaze.

“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.

Even small amounts of airborne ammonia can irritate people’s eyes and respiratory tracts, and in higher concentrations can even cause the throat to swell and fluid to accumulate in the lungs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In extreme cases, prolonged ammonia gas exposure can cause people’s blood-oxygen saturation to drop, or cause chemical burns to their tracheas, CDC experts said.

Children are especially susceptible due to their smaller airways, officials said.

After originally seting up a shelter for evacuees and their pets at Sam Case Elementary School, at 459 NE 12th St., officials moved it to Atonement Lutheran Church at 2315 N. Coast Highway in Newport.

A spokesman for Clackamas-based Pacific Seafood said in a statement to the Lincoln Chronicle they were not aware of any injuries and said all employees were accounted for.

“However, the situation is still ongoing and we are focused on supporting emergency responders to help ensure everyone is safe,” the statement said. “We will work closely with appropriate authorities to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident once the immediate response is complete.”

The cause of the fire remains unclear.

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