By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-03 14:38:57 | Updated at 2026-06-06 05:33:38
2 days ago
A young electrician among the 11 people killed at a Washington state paper mill implosion last week told his wife he feared for his safety shortly before the disaster.
On May 26, the Nippon Dynawave plant in Longview, a city north of Portland, suffered a catastrophic accident when a 900,000 gallon tank containing a hazardous chemical called 'white liquor' imploded.
The noxious brew containing sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and disodium carbonate spilled at 7.15am during a shift change.
The victims were identified as Dillon Miller; Norman Barlow, 58; Dale Miller, 54; Gilberto Bernal, 52; John Forsberg, 51; Robert Wilson, 48; Braydon Finkas, 38; Jared Ammons, 35; Tyler Covington, 29; Brad Covington, 27, and Clinton Doran, 26.
The wife of the youngest victim, Doran, who she called CJ, told KOIN he was looking for a new job because he was worried about his safety at the plant.
The couple had celebrated their first wedding anniversary just three months before Tuesday morning, when Doran left for an early morning shift. That was the last time his wife, Alisa Doran, saw him.
The widow said that after learning of the accident and losing contact with her husband, she spent most of Tuesday searching for answers, eventually going to the plant in person.
She was told to wait in a union hall, where she suffered hours of grueling uncertainty.
Clinton Doran, 26, was the youngest victim of an accident at a paper mill in Washington state that killed 11 people last week. He is pictured with his wife, Alisa Doran
Alisa said that her husband was worried about his safety at work before the accident. The imploded 900,000 gallon tank that held a noxious chemical brew called white liquor is pictured
The accident occurred at 7.15am during a shift change, which increased the death toll as more workers were on site. A teenager is pictured lighting a candle for the victims at a vigil
'Around 2pm, they came back from the mill, and they said that the rescue mission is over and they’re recovering, which meant there is no one alive, and CJ is one of the missing people,' Alisa told KOIN.
It would take three more days before CJ's body was recovered and he was confirmed dead. Alisa was informed of the tragedy at her home on Friday.
The widow said she was not allowed to see her husband's body, and that she would not have wanted to.
'I remember him as he was, as he left on Tuesday morning, and that’s the husband that I will always remember. I will not remember an injured body or anything like that,' Alisa said.
Through the tragedy, she has been finding comfort in her late husband's favorite book in the bible, Romans.
'Chapter eight, verse 38, that nothing can separate us from the love of God, even death,' she recited to KOIN.
'He’s not separated. We’re going to meet him. And I want this to be encouragement for other people that they can still meet their loved ones. It’s going to come, and there’s peace in the future,' the widow added.
Alisa has also been finding comfort in her family, church community and an online fundraiser that has generated massive support.
Clinton and Alisa had celebrated their first wedding anniversary three months before the accident. She said she is finding comfort in his favorite book in the Bible, Romans
The accident occurred on May 26 at the Nippon Dynawave plant in Longview, a city north of Portland. Soldiers and airmen from the national guard are pictured responding to the accident
The GoFundMe, set up just one week ago, said it 'is about surrounding Alisa with love and support as she walks through the pain of losing her husband.' It has raised more than $36,000 as of Wednesday morning.
The fundraiser described CJ as 'a selfless and deeply caring person who loved the Lord with all his heart and loved his family very much.'
'Alisa lost her husband, the spiritual leader of their family, the joy of their home, and the family provider,' the fundraiser page said. 'This tragedy has left so many people grieving a heartbreaking loss that no one should have to endure.'
Alisa's testimony that her husband feared for his safety before the accident last week adds to questions about what caused the tank to implode and who bears responsibility.
Family members of the victims at the plant have been calling for answers and questioning the safety culture at the mill, which carried out a highly dangerous wood pulping process that has remained largely unchanged for a century.
The white liquor chemical has a highly corrosive pH of 14 and can cause serious chemical burns, Stephen Kmiotek, a professor of chemical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, told OPB.
The brew is used to disintegrate wood chips into pulp to create a strong cellulose material that can be used to manufacture paper or cardboard containers.
Experts have said the tank collapsed inward, which indicates that a relief valve in the tank may have become clogged.
Clinton worked as an electrician at the plant. His wife said he was looking for another job before the accident
The cause of the accident remains under investigation. Soldiers and airmen from the national guard are pictured responding to the accident
Investigators with the US Chemical Safety Board arrived at the paper mill last Wednesday. The cause of the accident remains under review.
Brian Wood, director of support services for Nippon Dynawave, stated, 'We are cooperating fully with the agencies that have the responsibility to the public to do that analysis.
'It would be very premature to try to estimate when that might be available. We are very much in early days.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to Wood and Nippon Dynawave, as well as the US Chemical Safety Board, for comment.
