11 identified in Longview disaster: ‘Still hard to grasp the magnitude'

LONGVIEW - Emergency crews retrieved the ninth and final missing employee from the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. accident site Saturday, marking a grim coda to the operation that began Tuesday, after a chemical tank unleashed a torrent of a caustic chemical during the pulp and paper mill's morning shift change.

Identities of all 11 people killed in the incident were released during an afternoon news conference, as first responders detailed strenuous, dangerous excursions into the mill to retrieve the missing.

"I hope today will give the families so affected by this incident the closure needed to begin the long process of healing," Longview Fire Department Chief Brad Hannig said at the news conference.

On Saturday in Longview, residents rallied to support grieving workers and families, with a daylong fundraiser, meal trains and GoFundMe campaigns. Small-business owners and servers are promising to donate profits and tips to help.

Names of the deceased

The Cowlitz County coroner's office on Saturday confirmed nine victims had been recovered from the site. Two others died after being rushed from the scene by ambulance. Of the seven other workers who were injured, at least five had been discharged from hospitals.

Those who died had worked at Nippon for less than six months to more than 15 years. One had planned to leave early Tuesday for his wife's ultrasound appointment for their unborn child. Another was described as a devoted grandfather. Two were brothers.

Jared Ammons, 35, was an electrician by trade, and he took pride in his work, his wife Mackenzie Ammons said. He worked in Hillsboro, Ore., for a time, but a couple of years ago accepted a job at the Nippon Dynawave mill to be closer to home.

Gilbert Bernal, 52, of Kelso, was the first worker identified among those killed in the blast. An electrician at the plant, Bernal was a devoted father and grandfather, and he had been married for more than 30 years, his friend Todd Cornwell told The Seattle Times.

Brad Covington, 27, of Castle Rock, was an electrical and instrumentation technician at Nippon, where he had worked since 2021, according to his LinkedIn page.

Tyler Covington, 29, of Castle Rock, had a fiancée and three young children, according to a GoFundMe page. Brad and Tyler Covington were brothers.

Clint Doran, known as CJ, 26, "was a selfless and deeply caring person who loved the Lord with all his heart and loved his family very much," according to a GoFundMe organized on behalf of Doran's wife.

Braydon Finkas, 38, was an electrician and had worked at Nippon since 2016, according to his LinkedIn page. He and his partner lived in Cathlamet, Wahkiakum County.

John Forsberg, 51, of Longview, had two children, and his family "is navigating an unimaginable and deeply traumatic loss," a friend wrote on a GoFundMe page.

Dillon Miller's death in the mill implosion was confirmed by family friends on social media.

"Dillon was a devoted father and soon-to-be husband who meant so much to so many," wrote Melanie Galloway, who said she was a family friend and had once lived across the street from Miller's family for years.

Dale Miller, 54, of Portland, was one of the first two to be pulled from the implosion zone, according to his sister's post on a GoFundMe page. He was a journeyman millwright at Nippon, where he had worked since December.

Authorities said the two Millers were not related.

On Wednesday, Robb Wilson's son wrote that his father, 48, was missing and asked people to "just please pray for him and our family. I love you dad."

Norman Barlow, 58, was one of the last to be publicly identified.

'Even in the worst times'

By the time Tim Spromberg walked some cheesecake back to his table Saturday outside Bob's Sporting Goods, hundreds of people had already gone through the lunch line, at a fundraiser to support those affected by the disaster.

To hear Spromberg talk about Nippon Dynawave is to get a primer in just how deep mill culture runs through cities like Longview.

"My father worked at that mill for 40 years, a good buddy of mine who's like a brother, he worked there 40 years, that lady I was just talking to with the baby, her husband works down there, he left just two hours before it happened," said Spromberg, 66.

Even as residents mourned the losses, they wasted no time in coming together to help workers and their families.

"It means a lot," Spromberg said.

Over at the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Counties Labor Council table, Mike Bridges and Diana Winther, of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48, stood collecting donations for the workers.

When the tank failed, "I was on my way to work and saw it pop up on my social media feed within minutes of it happening, and I started making phone calls," said Bridges, 55, whose local represents contractors that work on the site. "Everybody's just checking in with each other."

Winther, 45, said the labor council stepped in partly because of concerns about fake fundraising sites that could be scamming people out of donations.

"We're a known entity in this community; we opened up an account through the (labor) council," said Winthers.

As they spoke, the scents of barbecued meat wafted through the parking lot. The Pacific Northwest Barbecue Association had been scheduled to host a cooking class in nearby Kalama, said Jacub Hauglum, who stood near smokers that had been going with pork butt, ribs and brisket.

"Me and my wife, we were planning on coming down and helping out with the class, … and we found out this was going on," said Hauglum, a 31-year-old ironworker who lives in Covington. "Barbecue brings everybody together, even in the worst times, it can bring a smile to somebody's face."

By the time he and other barbecue crews arrived on scene, 8,000 pounds of meat had been donated for them to cook, he said.

Standing in the middle of the parking lot in a ball cap and sunglasses was Matt Schlecht. Schlecht, 51, followed in the steps of his father and grandfather as owner of Bob's Sporting Goods.

"It's still hard to grasp the magnitude of what's actually happened," Schlecht said. "And I think a lot of people, myself included, are still trying to come to terms with what's happened."

While the main goal Saturday was to raise money for the workers and their families to pay rent, and afford food and clothes for their children, the day wasn't just about that.

"We're trying to create a space where people can come together, they can talk, they can hang out, they can be part of something," Schlecht added.

Across town, the Longview farmers market had been set up in a field near the Cowlitz County Horse Arena, and signs could be seen in stalls announcing that some profits would be donated to help the Nippon Dynawave workers.

As the sun sank Saturday over the Nippon Dynawave facility, about 40 people gathered for a vigil. Flowers and signs were laid at a mechanical monument, a steam engine near the plant entrance.

One speaker read off the names of the 11 workers lost. The stepfather of two of the lost workers called the need for safety at the mills critical. Out on the road, a trio of fire engines drove by, sirens and lights on.

Signs at the monument read: "Longview Strong." Another sign picturing one of the lost workers demanded: "Justice for Nippon Families - We Deserve the Answers."

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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 11:42 PM.