Officials declare shift to recovery after Longview mill blast; nine unrecovered, two confirmed fatalities

Scott Goldstein, a fire chief leading the multiagency response, told reporters the incident was “a transition from rescue to recovery as of this morning,” and said teams began deliberate recovery operations after assessing structural and industrial hazards.

The Longview Fire Department’s Battalion Chief Matt Amos said recovery efforts “began earlier today, and they’ll continue to be slow, methodical, and deliberate,” with responder safety and dignified handling of victims the top priorities. He said recovered individuals will be decontaminated and taken to the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office for identification and family notification.

Amos provided the most recent victim update: nine people remained unrecovered and seven employees were hospitalized. He said one person transported from the scene earlier had died, which officials said brought the number of confirmed fatalities among transported victims to two; Goldstein emphasized that final counts and identifications will come from the coroner.

Goldstein described the scene as highly hazardous and said access is constrained by structural concerns and water that in places is waist- to chest-deep. He said crews conducted drone operations and other assessments before beginning recovery work and that contingency plans exist to stabilize or remove the damaged tank if needed: “We still have contingency plans in place and resources coming to work on the tank itself,” he said.

Governor Bob Pearson expressed condolences and called the event “the deadliest industrial tragedy in modern Washington State history.” He listed state resources on site, including members of the Washington National Guard, Homeland Response Force personnel for decontamination and fatality search-and-rescue teams, and said the Department of Health and Ecology are conducting public-health and water-quality assessments.

Officials urged the public to avoid the industrial area and nearby dikes and ditches while recovery operations continue. A Joint Information Center was established for inquiries; officials gave the contact as jic@ecy.wa.gov and said the JIC will announce timing for the next information release.

Next steps: officials said recovery will continue as conditions permit, identification and family notifications will follow coroner protocols, and formal investigative work by labor and safety agencies will examine root causes before final conclusions are reached.