By Ben Olson
Reader Staff
Some more information has come in regarding the explosion at the Zodiac Aerospace facility in Newport, Wash.
Caution tape surrounds the Zodiac Aerospace building in Newport, Wash. Photo by Ben Olson.
According to the Pend Oreille County Sheriff, on Tuesday, July 14, at approximately 8:53pm, an explosion occurred inside the facility. There were 15 employees inside the building at the time. All made it out of the building and are accounted for.
The Spokesman Review reported the explosion threw employees to the ground, blew windows out and lifted the roof off the walls.
Five employees were transported to Newport Community Hospital. Becky Hogue, Rebekah Chaney and Marla Chute were treated and released.
Linda Bergeson and Cristina Giannone were air lifted to Spokane Sacred Heart Hospital. Bergeson is listed as stable, while Giannone has been listed in critical condition.
“We’re taking care of everybody,” General Manager Mike Pound told the Spokesman Review. “The employees are our No. 1 concern, and we’re taking care of them and they’re fine.”
The Newport plant is part of Zodiac Aerospace’s “Cabin and Structures” division. It is a key supplier of plastics and other composite material used in the production of airplane cabin interiors for Boeing and Airbus.
There is no word how long the facility will be shut down or the extent of the damage of the explosion.
First responders learned that a Pre-Preg Treater machine was believed to have caused the explosion; the machine is used in the plant to make material for aircraft interiors. Shortly after the explosion a chemical odor was detected in the area. By 3 a.m., the odor had dissipated and was no longer a risk to the public.
External damages at the Zodiac Aerospace building in Newport, Wash. Photo by Ben Olson.
The building was damaged so severely that it was deemed unsafe to enter. The building was turned over to the owners, and they will be responsible for security and cleanup.
While we have you ...
... if you appreciate that access to the news, opinion, humor, entertainment and cultural reporting in the Sandpoint Reader is freely available in our print newspaper as well as here on our website, we have a favor to ask. The Reader is locally owned and free of the large corporate, big-money influence that affects so much of the media today. We're supported entirely by our valued advertisers and readers. We're committed to continued free access to our paper and our website here with NO PAYWALL - period. But of course, it does cost money to produce the Reader. If you're a reader who appreciates the value of an independent, local news source, we hope you'll consider a voluntary contribution. You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.
You can contribute at either Paypal or Patreon.
Contribute at Patreon Contribute at Paypal
Coming up this week! Don’t miss out on a Student Safety Summit, Sherlock, Earth Day Cleanups…. and more! See the full list of events in the 
