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Recovery operations continue in Longview; officials confirm nine missing, two confirmed fatalities
Summary
Local and state officials said recovery efforts transitioned from rescue to recovery, confirmed two fatalities among transported patients and that nine people remain unrecovered; recovery will proceed slowly with state resources staged to assist families and responders.
Scott Goldstein, fire chief with Kallitz 2 Fire Rescue, told reporters the incident was declared a transition "from rescue to recovery as of this morning," and that operations would proceed methodically to protect responder safety.
Matt Amos, Longview Fire Battalion Chief, said recovery teams are prioritizing dignified treatment of victims and that recovered individuals will be decontaminated and sent to the Cowlitz County coroner for identification and family notification. "As of this afternoon, 9 individuals remain unrecovered," Amos said, and he reported that seven employees remained hospitalized. Amos confirmed that one person transported earlier "succumbed from their injuries, bringing the total number of confirmed fatalities, to 2 of those transported."
Governor Bob Pearson described the scale of the incident and the state's on-site support, saying the state is "here and will be here as long as it takes to support the families, support victims, support folks impacted by this tragedy." He listed resource deployments that include National Guard civil support teams, Homeland Response Force decontamination personnel and fatality search-and-rescue teams assisting recovery and family services.
Responders emphasized that scene conditions remain hazardous. Goldstein and Amos said structural instability, standing water in parts of the site and chemical-safety concerns require slow, staged operations. "Recovery efforts began earlier today, and they'll continue to be slow, methodical, and deliberate," Amos said. Officials said contingency plans are in place to stabilize or remove the tank if needed, and additional capabilities would be requested as operations proceed.
The Joint Information Center has been activated to coordinate public information and family outreach. Goldstein provided a JIC contact email (jic@ecy.wa.gov) and said the JIC will publish the schedule for future public updates. The briefing closed with officials reiterating a commitment to long-term support for injured workers, families of the deceased and the broader community.
The immediate next procedural step is continued recovery operations as conditions safely allow; officials said no timetable for completion was available.
