HERMISTON — Dozens of firefighters from multiple agencies the afternoon of Feb. 22 worked to quell a fierce blaze at Shearer’s Foods off Highway 207 in Hermiston.

“This was a big fire for us,” Fire District No. 1 Chief Scott Stanton said. “Probably haven’t had a fire this size in the last decade.”

A total of 60 firefighters from Fire District No. 1 and eight other agencies responded. The blaze destroyed the facility, but firefighters kept the fire from spreading.

As the fire raged, a line of cars exited Feedville Road. Authorities ushered the cars away from Shearer’s Foods and blocked the road to anyone wanting to enter. Some Shearer’s employees left by foot to meet nearby friends and loved ones for rides.

“It felt like a hurricane or a tornado came throughout the whole warehouse,” Shearer’s forklift operator Nick Perez said. “It blew dust everywhere. I saw the roof collapse. There was a bunch of fire. That’s when everyone evacuated.”

A natural gas portable boiler had exploded and started the blaze that would destroy the plant. Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 reported 73 employees evacuated. Six were injured and taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston, where they were treated and released.

Shearer’s Foods employed 230 at the site. The company decided not to rebuild the plant.

Shearer’s Foods CEO Bill Nictakis announced on March 8 the company was “exploring opportunities to relocate team members interested in working in our other plants” and has “provided a severance and benefits continuation package to recognize the effort and tenure that has gone into making the site successful over the past years.”

Agape House Director Mark Gomolski said the situation drove people to tears.

Shearer’s supplied Agape House with a list of all of the Hermiston plant employees, he said, and the nonprofit held a food drive for them on March 4. There were 35 volunteers, Gomolski said, and seven of the volunteers came from Shearer’s.

The event provided food to 127 Shearer’s families, he said.

Hermiston Assistant City Manager Mark Morgan expressed confidence the displaced laborers would find new work.

“I know there’s been significant interest from employers looking to hire some of these folks coming out of the Shearer’s facility,” he said.

Morgan said the site still is a good one due to its proximity to state freeways, Interstate 82 and Interstate 84.

According to the Shearer’s Foods website, the Hermiston plant, which opened in 2010, was the company’s only production facility in the Pacific Northwest. The Ohio-based company’s other locations are in Ohio, Texas, Arkansas, Virginia, Iowa, Minnesota, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada.

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