Bob Ferguson on Longview Pulp Mill Implosion, 10 Injured

Fatalities were reported after a pulp mill incident at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Facility in Longview, Washington, where a white liquor vat imploded just before 7:20 a.m. Tuesday. Ten people, including one firefighter, were injured and taken to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver.

Longview Fire officials said the white liquor tank was 60% full when it imploded at the 3400 block of Industrial Way, also known as Highway 432. Residents were asked to avoid the area while incident operations continued and could last through the night and into overnight hours.

Longview Fire update

Officials said fatalities were identified in an update just after 11 a.m. They also said there were still individuals who remained unaccounted for, though they did not say how many.

The injuries ranged from critical to minor. The injured firefighter was treated and released, while PeaceHealth said it received nine patients from the incident and that “one died, two were transferred, and six are in fair condition.”

PeaceHealth and Legacy Health

PeaceHealth said it did not expect any additional patients. Legacy Health said, “Legacy is currently caring for patients related to this incident, including at the Legacy Oregon Burn Center, and remains prepared to provide additional care as needed.”

It also said, “To protect patient privacy, Legacy Health cannot provide additional information about individual patients.”

Bob Ferguson, Washington governor, issued a statement about the incident. Officials said there was no threat to the city or the surrounding area, and they expected to provide another update at 7 p.m.