Residents near the Pennsylvania Aerospace Factory, which sparked the fire on Monday night, were asked to voluntarily evacuate as authorities were worried about air quality conditions.
The Abington Township Police Department broke out at SPS Technologies in Jenkintown around 9:30pm, with witnesses saying they saw flames growing inside the warehouse. Social Media.
A staggering 68 different fire departments responded to the scene, officials said.
All 60 employees in the warehouse were evacuated safely, with no injuries reported. However, concerns about air quality spiked when fires were torn through plants.
Even 13 hours after the first alarm went off, we could see black smoke swirling from the decimated warehouse.
Officials said smoke from the fire spread throughout the area and soon received shelter orders and continued until the fire was controlled.
Residents and businesses near the fire were asked to voluntarily evacuate “while conditions allow.”
“There was concern that if some of the chemicals were mixed, it could form arsenic that could be released into the air,” Abington Fire Chief Mike Jones said. Press conference.
Hazmat's crew were on the scene tracking air quality and potential water runoff. They recommended expanding the scope to leave all businesses within a mile, an area of about 17,000 residents, closed until notification.
SPS technology generates fasteners and lines of precision components for spacecraft.
In 2023, the company had to do it Paying a $109,000 fine to the US Environmental Protection Agency Because hazardous waste was properly disposed of and not stored. At the time, SPS Technologies was fined for failing to develop an appropriate emergency response plan in the event of an evacuation.
Officials said SPS technology employs around 500 people in the area and the destruction of warehouses “has really a huge impact on many lives.”
Philadelphia, just 15 miles from Abington Township, is also monitoring air quality due to the fire.
