The Philadelphia Department of Health has dispatched inspectors Tuesday to collect air samples following a massive blaze in nearby Abington Township.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no specific hazardous substances have been identified, according to health officials.
On Monday at approximately 9:30 p.m. — amidst exceptionally high winds — 68 fire units responded to a four-alarm fire at SPS Technologies in Jenkintown, forcing residents within one mile into a mandatory shelter-in-place. All 60 employees from the building were safely evacuated, according to authorities. Witnesses say that they heard at least one explosion before
Schools around the warehouse were closed on Tuesday and SEPTA lines around the property have been shut down temporarily. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is on-site and is monitoring both air and water quality.
Twelve hours after the blaze was contained, hot spots were still popping up at the site — which is adjacent to an LA Fitness, Highland Restaurant & Bar, as well as residential homes.
SPS Technologies employs about 500 people — and began in 1903. Made famous for both the developing and manufacturing of fasteners and precision components utilized by aerospace around the world, the company moved to Jenkintown in 1920. The company changed it’s name in 1978 to SPS Technologies. In 2003 — the approximately 560,000-square-foot facility was acquired by PCC Fasteners — SPS Jenkintown.
