Aerospace Supplier Destroyed by Massive Fire in Mongomery County, PA
Firefighters from dozens of departments remain at the scene of a massive blaze at an aerospace supply plant in Abington Township.
The shelter-in-place remains in place for residents within a mile radius of SPS Technologies, Abington Fire Chief Mike Jones said at a press conference Tuesday morning.
Due to concerns with the air quality and water runoff, schools were closed and the local trains were stopped.
Jones said they saw heavy fire through the roof as they entered the area. Firefighters immediately went into the building to make sure all employees had escaped. There were no injuries.
The facility's fire brigade was engaged in the firefight when the outside crews arrived. But the blaze had a head start.
"We are aware of what chemicals are in there," Jones said, adding that some may involve arsenic. "We knew where they (certain chemicals) are and we kept the fire away from there."
While runoff water from the plant is contained in tanks, Jones said various local, state and federal officials are monitoring it.
About 100 firefighters from 68 departments who responded to the incident before 10 p.m. remain at the scene Tuesday morning. Brisk winds fanned the flames and water quickly froze, making walking tricky.
The command post was established in a restaurant across the street from the plant.
Abington Fire Marshal Chris Platz said the investigation has not started.
