Longview Nippon Dynawave Chemical Tank Implosion — Fatalities Reported
An 80,000-gallon white liquor tank imploded at the Nippon Dynawave pulp and paper mill in Longview, WA on May 26, 2026, with fatalities reported.
- Location
- Longview, WA
- Latest update
- 5d ago
- Updates
- 4
- Sources
- 5 primary sources
Evacuation map
Closures & advisories
Closures reported by cited sources. Status can change quickly — confirm with the listed agency before you travel.
Road & freeway closures
Industrial Way (vicinity of the Nippon Dynawave site)
Active emergency response. Avoid the area; check with Longview Fire for current status.
Facility & business closures
Nippon Dynawave Packaging mill
Site closed for emergency response and investigation. Workforce of about 1,000.
Live updates
Newest first. Each update is verified against the cited source before it’s posted.
- Pinned · what to know5d agoPermalink to this update
What we know so far
A tank holding about 80,000 gallons of "white liquor" — a strongly alkaline pulping solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide — imploded at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging mill on Industrial Way in Longview, Washington at approximately 7:19 a.m. PT on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Officials describe it as a mass casualty scene. At least one person has died and others are unaccounted for. At least nine patients have been transported to area hospitals; some have been transferred to the Legacy Oregon Burn Center in Portland. The cause has not been determined. No off-site evacuation or shelter-in-place has been issued.
Source: Longview industrial implosion causes fatalities, critical injuries, officials confirm · OPB
Washington Department of Ecology: alkaline release into drainage ditch
Washington Department of Ecology spokesperson Brittny Goodsell said the released material — an alkaline solution — entered a nearby drainage ditch, a violation of the facility's water-quality permit. An Ecology spills team is evaluating the impact. Goodsell also noted the facility does not have recent environmental penalties from Ecology.
Source: Longview industrial implosion causes fatalities, critical injuries, officials confirm · OPB
Hospitals: PeaceHealth St. John receives nine; some patients transferred to Portland burn center
PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview reported receiving nine patients from the incident, with several in fair condition and two transferred elsewhere. The Legacy Oregon Burn Center in Portland is caring for transferred patients. Additional patients were taken to hospitals in Vancouver, WA.
Source: Deaths reported after chemical tank implodes at pulp and paper mill in Washington state · CBS News
Cowlitz 2 Fire Chief: 'too early to determine cause'
Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said it is too early to determine what caused the implosion and added that responders on scene have friends and relatives who work at the facility. Longview Fire Battalion Chief Mike Gorsuch called it a "mass casualty scene" and said the response could be "an all-day process."
Source: Longview industrial implosion causes fatalities, critical injuries, officials confirm · OPB