BAKER CITY HERALD • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022 A5
OREGON
Explosion, fire damage potato chip plant in Hermiston
BY ERICK PETERSON, ANDREW
CUTLER, BEN LONERGAN,
ANTONIO SIERRA AND
PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Umatilla
County Fire District No. 1,
Umatilla County Sheriff ’s Of-
fice and other first respond-
ers remain on the scene of
Shearer’s Foods off Highway
207 in Hermiston following
an explosion and fire.
“We haven’t had a fire like
this in about the last decade,”
Fire Chief Scott Stanton said.
Employees of Shear-
er’s Foods called 911 at
12:51 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 22,
according to the sheriff ’s of-
fice reported, and reported a
boiler explosion with possible
injuries.
Medical and fire units re-
sponded, along with law en-
forcement agencies to assist.
Nick Oatley, spokesperson
for the fire district, reported
the explosion and ensuing
fire fully engulfed one build-
ing. Stanton said occupants at
nearby hotels were evacuated.
Witnesses share their
experiences
As the fire raged, a line of
cars exited Feedville Road.
Authorities ushered the cars
away from Shearer’s Foods
and the source of the smoke.
Then, they blocked the road
to anyone wanting to enter.
Some Shearer’s employees,
though, left by foot to meet
nearby friends and loved ones
for rides.
Nick Perez, forklift oper-
ator, was one of the walkers.
As he left to meet a friend, he
spoke of the incident that en-
gulfed his workplace in fire.
He said he was in a differ-
ent part of the building from
the explosion.
“It felt like a hurricane or a
tornado came throughout the
whole warehouse,” he said. “It
blew dust everywhere. I saw
the roof collapse. There was a
bunch of fire. That’s when ev-
eryone evacuated.”
When he left the building,
he could not retrieve his car
keys, which is why he said he
was meeting a friend, Cory
Harris, to give him a lift.
Harris, a warehouse worker
at Shearer’s, said he had the
day off of work and was
glad for that. He had seen
fires there before, he said,
but nothing like this. He ex-
pressed concern for the peo-
ple who were there and worry
about what this meant for his
employment.
Art Moreno was on the
side of the road and said he
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Fire departments from throughout the area combat a blaze Tuesday
afternoon, Feb. 22, 2022, at Shearer’s Foods off Highway 207 in Herm-
iston. The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office reported an explosion in a
boiler room set off the blaze.
was waiting on his wife, Jon-
nie Moreno, who was on
her way.
When she arrived, he met
her with a hug and a tarp to
warm her.
“I’m all right. I’m all right,”
she said to her husband. Then
she shared a few words about
her ordeal.
“Most of the girls were ter-
rified,” she said.
As for herself, she said she
was not frightened but wor-
ried for other workers. Some
of her co-workers, she said,
were affected by smoke and
minor injuries.
Local agencies address the
emergency
Caitlin Cozad, communica-
tions director for Good Shep-
herd Medical Center in Herm-
iston, said the hospital received
seven patients from Shearer’s
Foods. All were in stable to fair
condition, she reported, and
“none are critical or serious at
this time.”
Union Pacific Railroad was
notified to close down traf-
fic on the nearby rail line.
The Oregon Department of
Transportation closed High-
way 207 south of Hermiston
between Feedville Road and
the Space Age truck stop near
Interstate 84 Exit 182 due to
the emergency.
Umatilla County Fire Dis-
trict No. 1 is the primary fire
agency for the fire and has set
up a command post, accord-
ing to a press release from the
sheriff’s office. The fire district
also requested mutual aid from
surrounding fire agencies. The
initial information is the cause
of the explosion and fire is a
natural gas portable boiler.
The sheriff’s office urged the
public to avoid the area.
Hermiston City Manager
Byron Smith said the fire at
the company could have a sig-
nificant impact on the com-
munity.
“There are a lot of people
who work there,” he said. “It
will be a big challenge for us.”
Hermiston Mayor Dave
Drotzmann called the explo-
sion and resulting fire tragic
for the Shearers family and the
Hermiston community.
“We hope for the employ-
ees that have been injured a
speedy recovery,” he said. “For
the families that are affected,
Hermiston will work with our
partners at the county, state
and federal levels to bring re-
sources as soon as possible to
support them as they work
through this tragedy.”
Not the first emergency
Shearer’s
The Ohio-based Shear-
er’s Foods bought snack food
manufacturer Snack Alli-
ance in 2010 and took over its
Highway 207 facility.
After securing a tax break
from the city of Hermiston’s
enterprise zone, Shearer’s
made several expansions to
its facility from 2010 to 2014,
developments valued at more
than $30 million. Shearer’s
did not immediately return
questions about the size of
its presence in Hermiston,
but a Shearer’s manager told
the East Oregonian in 2013
that the plant employed 325
people. In 2014, the potato
processor announced it was
hiring an additional 114 em-
ployees.
This is not the first major
emergency at Shearer’s. In late
September, Umatilla County
Fire District No. 1 dispatched
a hazardous materials team
and other emergency respond-
ers to a chemical leak at the
Shearer’s plant. Three peo-
ple were transported to Good
Shepherd while another two
refused transport. Once au-
thorities were able to identify
the source of the leak and stop
it, Shearer’s was allowed to re-
open the following day.
Democrats dangle $100 million for GOP rural districts
Republicans $100 million to
spend essentially as they see fit
SALEM — As Oregon law- in their rural Oregon districts.
In a move with little prece-
makers begin the final two
dent, House Speaker Dan Ray-
weeks of this year’s legisla-
field, D-Corvallis, alerted Re-
tive session, they are about
publican leaders last week that
to unveil their approach to a
unique puzzle: How to spend Democrats were prepared to re-
serve a notable slice of the state’s
more than $2.5 billion in
budgetary bounty for GOP
surging revenue unplanned
for when they passed the state priorities. Part politics and part
pragmatism, the offer would
budget last year.
give the minority party far more
The answer involves hun-
influence over which projects
dreds of millions for housing,
climate change, mental health, make it through the crucible of
job training and other pressing the budgeting process.
“I’ve seen both parties be
needs. But majority Demo-
crats are also rolling the dice on pretty contentious with one
another,” said state Rep. Greg
an eye-popping olive branch:
They are going to give minority Smith, R-Heppner, one of four
BY DIRK VANDERHART
Oregon Public Broadcasting
lawmakers tasked with creating
a plan for the money. “I believe
the speaker of the House is say-
ing, ‘Let’s see if there’s a better
approach to public policy, one
where we can all communicate
together.’ It’s refreshing.”
There’s also no guarantee the
move will salve the fierce parti-
sanship that has ruled in Salem
in recent sessions. Smith said
his fellow Republicans were
at first opposed to the spend-
ing proposal, fearing it was a
Democratic ploy. The party is
still furious that former House
Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Port-
land, broke a deal to grant Re-
publicans an equal say on new
congressional maps last year.
“Initially, there was a percep-
tion that this was some sort of
buy off,” Smith said of a meeting
last week in which House and
Senate Republicans discussed
the idea. “After initial conver-
sations and once folks had a
chance to better understand
what this approach was about, I
think more folks came along.”
In the days since, GOP
members and one rural Dem-
ocrat have whittled down a list
of projects most sorely needed
in their districts. Smith led that
effort with three other law-
makers — Rep. Mark Owens,
R-Crane, Rep. David Gomberg,
D-Otis, and Senate Minority
Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend.
The package they have ar-
rived at encompasses dozens
of projects stretching from
Eastern Oregon to the coast.
Smith, for instance, said he
would request $1 million to
improve each of the seven
fairgrounds located in his
northeastern Oregon district.
A full list of proposed projects
had not been released as of
the morning of Feb. 21.
“We’re all committed to
make sure that rural Oregon
has the things it needs to prog-
ress,” said state Sen. Elizabeth
Steiner Hayward, D-Portland,
one of the state’s top budget
writers, when asked about the
package Monday. “I’ll be hon-
est with you. I think we’re mak-
ing investments that are more
than $100 million.”
Though atypical, the ap-
proach by Rayfield isn’t en-
tirely novel. Flush with federal
relief money during last year’s
session, legislative leaders
made the decision — contro-
versial in some circles — to
grant each lawmaker millions
of dollars to spend in their
district as they saw fit.
Lawmakers contacted by
OPB all made the case that the
new package is a sensible in-
vestment to help small com-
munities that often lack the
resources to tackle big-ticket
infrastructure projects.
Baker County
CHURCH
DIRECTORY
THE CHURCH OF
JESUS CHRIST OF
LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Sunday Worship
First Service 8:30 am
2nd Service & Sunday School
10:00 am
Jr. High & High School Youth
Tues 6:30 pm
Youth Pastor Silas Moe
675 Hwy 7, Baker City • 541-523-5425
FIRST
PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
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541-523-5201
firstpresbaker.blogspot.com
9-11 AM - Baker City 1st Ward
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Noon-2 PM Baker Valley Ward
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541-523-3891
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10 a.m. Worship Service
Thursdays
5-6 p.m.
Free Community Dinner
6-7 p.m.
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Sunday School
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Pastor Troy Teeter
1250 Hughes Lane, Baker City
(Corner of Cedar & Hughes)
541-523-3533
www.bakernaz.com
2177 First Street • Baker City
Entrance on 1st Street
Corner Church & First Streets
541-523-4812
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17th & Pocahontas, Baker City
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Wed Daily Mass 9 am
at St. Alphonsus Chapel
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Corner of First & Church, Baker City
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1904
WORSHIP GATHERING
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Open to all patients,
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reflection and prayer.
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541-523-4233
www.BakerCityHarvest.org
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CHRISTIAN
SCIENCE CHURCH
Elkhorn Baptist
Church
Sunday Service
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Evening Worship 6 pm
Discovery Kids Worship
6:30 pm
3520 Birch St, Baker City
541-523-4332
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541-523-5911
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2nd & 4th Sundays, Morning Prayer
5th Sunday, Morning Prayer
Saturday Worship
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St. Francis De
Sales Cathedral
bakercalvarybaptist.com
Sunday Worship
9:45am
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Baker & Haines
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Churches
Baker UMC, 1919 2nd St, at 11am
Haines UMC, 814 Robert St, at 9am
or join us on Zoom at 11am
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Meeting ID: 541 523 4201
669 900 6833 US (San Jose) (Audio only)
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ST. BRIGID’S IN THE
PINES COMMUNITY
CHURCH
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1st & 3rd Sunday
Holy Eucharist
East Auburn Street, Sumpter
541-523-4812
A Mission of St. Stephen's Episcopal
Church in Baker City
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Whelan Electric, Inc.
523-5756 • CCB 103032
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