Air Monitored near Gloucester County, NJ, Pool Business after Fire

The day after a fire tore through a fiberglass swimming pool manufacturing business in Gloucester County, hazmat crews are testing the air quality at schools where 700 students were evacuated during the blaze.

No air quality issues have been reported so far following the fire at North East Pool Builders, located on the 800 block of Harding Highway/ Route 40 in Franklin Township, local officials said Friday morning.

The types of materials that burned can cause health risks including respiratory concerns, skin irritation and stomach pain, and signs of fiberglass fire exposure can include eye irritation, sore throat, rashes and coughing, according to a fact sheet provided by Gloucester County.

Anyone with exposure concerns should seek medical attention, the county advised.

An off-duty firefighter reported the blaze at a large commercial building on the property on Thursday. Crews responded to the scene shortly after 9:15 p.m. as the fire sent a large plume of black smoke high into the sky.

A worker at the business — which employs about a dozen people — provided responders with a list of hazardous materials inside the building, including resins and other substances used to make fiberglass pool shells, according to county and township officials.

As a precaution, two schools with hundreds of students — Main Road School and Our Lady of Mercy Academy — and residences within a one-mile radius of the site were evacuated Thursday. Students returned to class at the two schools on Friday.

No toxic readings were detected at the fire site or from air quality tests conducted at the schools and surrounding community, officials reported Thursday. Air quality was monitored on the interior and exterior of both schools prior to and during the evacuations, officials said.

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, according to Matt DeCesari, township police chief and emergency management coordinator.

The fire was declared under control by 11:15 a.m. Thursday and fire companies cleared the scene by 6 p.m. Firefighters returned to the site Thursday night when the fire rekindled, DeCesari said.

A representative of the business did not immediately respond to requests to comment.

Any residents experiencing air-quality concerns within the one-mile zone of the fire location can request an air-quality inspection from the county via an online form from the county Office of Emergency Management.

No residents reported health issues, DeCesari said Friday. One resident located next to the fire scene asked for air quality monitoring on Friday morning, he added.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

A spokesperson for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Friday the agency was aware of the fire and looking into the matter, but federal officials had not yet launched an investigation into the incident.

Local official had been to the site before for complaints. The township was called out to the site previously for reports of foul odors and debris coming from a smoke stack, according to DeCesari.

In a statement, Franklin Township Mayor Jake Bruno praised first responders and the county and state agencies that responded to the fire.

“The actions taken to protect almost 700 students in two schools and over 150 residents within the evacuation zone prevented a potentially dangerous exposure to hazardous materials,” Bruno said. “The quick actions of the men and women of the involved agencies successfully kept our residents from harm and we are grateful for their efforts.”

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