Officials give updates on Longview, Washington chemical implosion

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:10]side profile is not good. So, >> okay, we ready? All right. This is stand up press conference. Uh my name is Mike Orsach, battalian chief, city of Long View Fire. Um good afternoon. Uh I wrote this down or we wrote this down through our PIO so that I got it correctly, got all the names right. We're here to provide an update regarding the this morning's industrial accident incident at Napon Dino wave packaging located on Industrial Way and Long View. At approximately 7:15, emergency respons responders were dispatched to the following rupture of a tank containing white liquor at the facility. Multiple agencies from across the region responded immediately and continue to operate on scene. The incident is stable but is in recovery phase. Recovery efforts remain underway at the facility.

[00:01:04]Hazardous materials personnel and fire crews continue working closely with the facility staff to secure the area and to support the ongoing operations. At this time, officials have identified no immediate threat to the surrounding community, and we're still asking the public to avoid the area while we're still in the recovery phase. There were multiple critical injuries and patients were transported to hospitals in Long View and throughout the Vancouver Portland area. We can also confirm there were fatalities related to the incident.

[00:01:31]We are not confirming or uh given the information on their names until their families have been notified.

[00:01:38]At this time, there are also individuals who remain unaccounted for as crews recover uh and continue the recovery and accountability operations. One firefighter was also injured during the response and he has since been treated and released at our Long View Hospital.

[00:01:52]No identifying information will be released until all the family notifications have been completed. Like I said, this is a unified response has been coordinated through City of Long View Fire Department, Kell 2 Fire and Rescue, the Callis County Fire, uh, excuse me, Callis County Sheriff's Office, Regional Hazard Materials Teams, and Medics Ambulance. The pond dino wave personnel remain on scene and have been instrumental in their part in our agencies. So this is a tragic incident for our community. Our thoughts remain with the victims, their families, co-workers, and everyone who has been impacted by it. Additional information will be released as it becomes verified and available. At this time, I'd like to give the rest of this to fire chief Scott Goldstein from Kel Fire Rescue.

[00:02:38]The Deon Donaway site as along with the other industrial areas here along Columbia River are an industrial response area which is done in partnership with Long View Fire and Callus 2 Fire Rescue. Our units responded jointly this morning and assisted with the fire suppression activities, hazardous materials, emergency medical response and the scene coordination. As Battalian Chief Gorsuch identified, this is white liquor. It is a chemical mixture of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and dodium carbonate that is used in the paper making process.

[00:03:16]The incident of this scale requires strong coordination between the agencies and the county as that's what remains ongoing. As we identified the scene remains stable. Crews from our agencies have looked at the hazard materials component as well as the structural concerns.

[00:03:34]That is why we are saying the incident is now stable. The family support process has been coordinated through the AWPPPW union officials and Natan Dinoway. We ask that everyone respect the privacy of the families during this difficult time.

[00:03:55]Incident operations remain on site and we anticipate that to take for several hours and maybe through the overnight period.

[00:04:02]Our next plan communication update will be 700 p.m. this evening. I will take questions at this time.

[00:04:11]>> How many injuries and how many fatalities?

[00:04:13]>> Unknown number of fatalities at this moment. As you said, we have confirmed that there are fatalities but the exact number is undetermined. injuries. 10 personnel were transported from the site. As Chief Gorsuch identified, one of those was a firefighter. So that was nine personnel on site plus one firefighter transported.

[00:04:33]>> Can you tell us the extent of those injuries? How how badly?

[00:04:35]>> Wide range of injuries, >> but more life-threatening as well.

[00:04:38]>> Critical, severe to to to minor.

[00:04:41]>> Were all those injured uh and who died?

[00:04:44]Workers at the plant?

[00:04:46]>> No, as we identified, one firefighter injured. The other nine were members of the of the facility >> and those who died.

[00:04:53]>> I said we're not identifying any information pertain to that.

[00:04:56]>> You've said recovery effort. Does that suggest that they are still looking for victims and fatalities at the scene?

[00:05:01]>> We have looked through the site and are looking at assisting the Nepon staff as well as state agencies in the next documentation process.

[00:05:09]>> I know you said people are still missing. Do you have a ballpark or do you have how many may be missing? We have information on that, but we're not releasing that information in conjunction with the Callus County Sheriff's Office as they are operating this as the lead law enforcement agency.

[00:05:22]>> Can you explain more like what was the cause of the incident with the white liquor?

[00:05:26]>> Unknown at this time.

[00:05:27]>> We're dealing with life safety concerns and incident stabilization at this point. That will come in the hours and days to come.

[00:05:34]>> What would you say to people who are concerned about the chemicals involved in this, who maybe live nearby, who are worried about this and living so close in the air? So the industrial sites here along the Columbia River are very well established and have great safety protocols. The concern is understood, but is one that we said from the very beginning was not a concern to the neighbors in the community around.

[00:05:58]>> Has the department responded to other fires or chemical incidents at the facility?

[00:06:02]>> I'm going to take two more questions and then see if if if you have anything for sheriff's office and then we'll go others. Yes. The pond dino way as well as the other chemical other industrial facilities here are our agencies that we train with extensively train with routinely and respond to medical emergencies, fire emergencies and situations there. Do not have any specific numbers.

[00:06:28]>> How big is the tank and what was the volume of the [snorts] spell?

[00:06:31]>> The initial information is it was roughly an 80,000 gallon tank that was roughly 60% full.

[00:06:41]Do you have information? How many how many people were working there this morning?

[00:06:44]>> I do not have that information.

[00:06:46]>> These are people in your community.

[00:06:48]>> Uh you probably know some of these folks who work there. What what is this like for your folks to have to respond to something in a relatively smaller community?

[00:06:55]>> So as as you outlined the people who are responders here, have friends and and relatives that work on site. It is something that is impactful and we have support networks to support the workers as well as the emergency responders as we continue to help each other through this critical day. Jordan, you have anything for sheriff's office?

[00:07:16]>> So people are legacy Emanuel and Peace Health. Are there other hospitals?

[00:07:21]>> They're throughout the >> for me to outline where they're at. It would be inaccurate. We know where we transported them, but from that point on, we don't know where they have been retransferred for advanced care. So that's why we know they're at St. John here in town and other area hospitals throughout the Vancouver Portland area.

[00:07:39]>> How many crews responded?

[00:07:42]>> The number of crews was significant. The resources were Katz County, excuse me, Kitz 2 Fire Rescue as well as Long View Fire Department and Medics uh ambulance service. We had support from Castle Rock Fire District 6 and Fire District 5 assisting with area coverage while we were here.

[00:08:01]>> You Sorry.

[00:08:02]>> Go ahead.

[00:08:03]>> I was going to say you just talk about the initial response kind of getting there. What you know, what do you guys see? What do you guys look for?

[00:08:09]>> The initial response was for an explosion with injured parties. Our first priority is life safety. Second priority is incident stabilization.

[00:08:20]That's what we did for the first periods of time. and then identifying and supporting the incident stabilization to understand what our our risks are as well as the number of personnel that were in the area.

[00:08:35]>> You guys ever dealt with liquor before?

[00:08:37]>> It's one of the things that we train with the Nepon staff frequently as well as the other facilities here along the industrial area. Correct.

[00:08:44]>> If it was 60% full, why was there a rupture? What caused this?

[00:08:48]>> That is too early for us to know that.

[00:08:50]I'm gonna say one more question working off this side. I'll >> I don't know if this is for the sheriff's office who, but correct me if I'm wrong. I believe there was an industrial fire at the same site last summer regarding some rail or train repair shop and now there's this. Is that going to prompt any sort of investigation into safety at this facility or anything like that?

[00:09:07]>> So you are correct. There was a fire here last summer. That fire was at a very different part of this facility, not one that was uh operated by Nepon.

[00:09:17]When you talk about this facility, there are multiple companies inside the area and that where site specific gets detailed. The fire was at Patriot Rail and that was not the Nepon facility.

[00:09:31]Okay.

[00:09:32]>> Talk about the dangers of White Liquor.

[00:09:34]>> What makes it dangerous?

[00:09:35]>> I cannot at this time.

[00:09:36]>> Okay.

[00:09:38]Last question. I'll get your question.

[00:09:41]>> Can authorities not confirm the number of fatalities because they still don't know how many people are missing or unaccounted for?

[00:09:46]>> We have coordination with the facility staff and we know a number of personnel and we're still working to identify that. That's a combination effort with facility staff, the sheriff's office and fire rescue.

[00:09:57]>> What does the search look like for missing people >> again? We'll be back with information or here at 7 o'clock. You had something was >> just please restate your name and title for us.

[00:10:07]>> No problem. Title Fire Chief Scott Goldstein. G O L D S T E I N. Call 2 Fire Rescue.

[00:10:17]>> Battalian Chief Mike Gorsuch. G O R S U C H.

[00:10:23]>> Thank you all.

[00:10:23]>> Thank you guys. Thank you. Good luck.