Umatilla County Fire District #1 provided an update on its Facebook page on the fire at Shearer’s Foods and the aftermath.
Crews conducted a fire watch throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday. An excavator was used on Wednesday to pull back siding, walls and the roof of the warehouse, giving firefighters on Engine 23 the ability to reach hotspots obstructed by the debris.
According to the fire district, a total of 73 employees evacuated the warehouse on Tuesday after the explosion. All the injured employees who were transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center have been released. Everyone to the south and southeast of the fire were put under a Level 2 evacuation notice which has now been lifted.
The district gave out a big “thank you” to the Oregon State Police, Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office and Hermiston Police Department for helping out, along with all the local agencies who provided mutual aid during the fire on Tuesday.