Fears of ammonia contamination prompt evacuations after fire at Oregon sea food plant

Evacuations were underway in coastal Oregon due to potential ammonia contamination after a seafood processing plant caught fire Sunday.

Authorities responded to the blaze at the address for Pacific Seafood, a major seafood processing and distribution plant, in the city of Newport’s Bayfront neighborhood shortly before 11 a.m. local time, the Lincoln County Oregon Emergency Management Office said on social media.

Level 3 evacuations — meaning there is “extreme danger in the area” and locals should leave immediately — were in place for those within a 1-mile radius of the plant “due to a potential ammonia contamination in the area from the plant,” the city of Newport said on social media earlier Sunday afternoon.

Some evacuation zones in the original area were reduced to Level 2, meaning “Be ready,” the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said at 2 p.m.

Ammonia is a toxic clear gas or liquid, and exposure to high levels can hurt the skin, eyes, throat and lungs, while exposure to very high levels can cause lung damage or death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We recommend staying inside if you are in Newport today. If you must go outside, you should wear a mask,”…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health