An industrial fire, which began Monday, February 17, was finally extinguished on Saturday, February 22. The fire began at SPS Technologies’ fastener manufacturing facility in Abington, Pennsylvania. In a statement from the city, over 100 various agencies assisted in the effort, which thankfully resulted in zero fatalities. 

The incident occurred last Monday night. Abington Police and multiple fire companies were called to 301 Highland Ave Jenkintown at 9:35 p.m. where they discovered an active fire breaching through the roof of the building. Witnesses told officials that an explosion occurred inside the plant, causing the fire. The building was immediately evacuated, and all employees that were on site were accounted for with no reported injuries. The fire was so severe that a total of 68 fire companies responded to the fire and worked systematically to contain it and ensure public safety.

Shelter-in-place and evacuation recommendations, which were put in place shortly after the fire began, were lifted on Wednesday, February 19, allowing residents to return to their homes and businesses. The incident is being investigated by the Abington Fire Marshal in conjunction with the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

SPS released a statement on Thursday, February 20. In it, the company thanked the efforts of the emergency services and first responders who ensured that every person on the scene was safely evacuated and addressed the fire. “We are committed to protecting the health and safety of the community and working to understand the extent of the damage and its impact. We understand that there’s concern about the chemicals stored on site. We just received access to the site today, and we do know that the main chemical storage area was not impacted by the fire. We are working with the appropriate resources to remove the chemicals from the site today. Our investigation continues, and we will provide updates as available.”

Now that the fire has been extinguished, remediation efforts can begin. As part of these efforts, environmental contractors, in partnership with federal, state, county, and local agencies, will perform air and water monitoring. So far, no issues have been identified. SPS has 14 air monitors at varying distances surrounding the plant. According to SPS, the company has dispatched multiple trained crews to remove debris and provide other cleanup services for schools and homeowners who requested this service. The debris has been tested for asbestos, but there has yet to be any findings.