From the editor’s desk: The aftermath of explosion and fire
Published 4:17 pm Thursday, March 3, 2022
- The Shearer's Foods wreckage is a heap of twisted and blackened materials Feb. 24, 2022, two days after an explosion and fire at the Hermiston facility. The company announced Tuesday, March 8, that it would not be able to rebuild quickly and let go of the 230 people who worked at the site.
The day after an explosion and fire at Shearer’s Foods, Hermiston, smoke still rose from the scorched ruins.
Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 firefighters, having spent a late night at the scene Feb. 22, returned at 10 a.m. Feb. 23, sorting through rubble to put out remaining hot spots. Fire officials said they expected to remain working at Shearer’s “for a while,” stating they were not quite sure when work would be complete.
Jimmy Davis, operations chief for the district, said he was weary, and he was not the only one who felt this way. He said his entire team was exhausted.
In the aftermath of the fire, it seemed clear to people involved that it would be difficult to recover. Still, Shearer’s Foods and state and local governments committed to helping people find their way back to normalcy.
