An enormous fire ripped through an industrial complex in Pennsylvania and continues to burn as residents sheltered over fears of toxic smoke.
The blaze broke out at around 9:35 p.m. Monday at SPS Technologies, a metal manufacturing company in Jenkintown, Montgomery County, about 10 miles north of Philadelphia.
Dramatic video showed the fire raging throughout the night into Tuesday, where 68 fire crews were at the scene.
Schools in the Abington, Jenkintown and Cheltenham districts, and all private and parochial schools, are closed Tuesday as crews battle to get the fire under control. All employees are accounted for and there were no reported injuries, according to police.
“We are still fighting this fire. It’s still actively burning,” Thomas McAneney, Abington Township's emergency management coordinator said at Tuesday press conference.
Authorities do not yet know what started the fire. Witnesses reported there was an explosion inside the building, police said. Officials also raised concerns about the air quality due to chemicals inside the facility.
“Smoke and particulates from this fire is filtering across the area. For this reason, a shelter in place order has been initiated and is currently in effect until this incident is under control,” Abington Township Police Department said in a statement. “Hazmat crews are continually monitoring air quality in the area and advised that any residence or business within a 1-mile radius of this location remain closed until further notice.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro thanked fire crews who “ensured no lives were lost” and said that Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection was on the ground “coordinating with local hazmat teams, monitoring air quality, water runoff, and hazardous materials for any threat to the public.”
Abington Township Ward 13 commissioner Bill Bole confirmed that all 50 employees who were working on Monday night self-evacuated.
He warned residents to avoid unnecessary activity.
“While contained, the age of the structure and size of the campus has made this very difficult to contain,” Bole added. “As of 7:45am, there is still water being placed on the structure to completely put out the fire.”
