Fire at Pennsylvania aerospace plant triggers evacuations over air quality concerns

Residents near a Pennsylvania aerospace manufacturing plant that caught fire Monday night have been asked to voluntarily evacuate as officials worry about air quality conditions.The blaze broke out at SPS Technologies in Jenkintown around 9:30 p.m.and witnesses noted an explosion and saw flames growing inside the warehouse, the Abington Township Police Department said in a statement on social media.

A staggering 68 different fire departments responded to the scene, officials said.All 60 employees inside the warehouse were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.But as the fire tore through the plant concerns about air quality spiked.

Even 13 hours after the first alarm went off, black smoke could still be seen billowing out of the decimated warehouse.A shelter-in-place order soon followed and lasted until the fire was under control because smoke from the fire spread across the area, officials said.Residents and businesses near the fire were asked to voluntarily evacuate late Tuesday afternoon “while conditions permit” because of growing apprehension surrounding the air quality.“We had concerns that if some of the chemicals were to mix, it could form arsenic which could get in the air and in the smoke that’s coming off the fire,” Abington Fire Chief Mike Jones said at a press conference.Hazmat crews were on site tracking the air quality and possible water runoff.

They recommended that the scope be expanded to require all businesses within a 1-mile radius — an area of roughly 17,000 residents — to remain closed until further notice.SPS Technologies produces a line of fasteners and precision components for spacecrafts.In 2023, the company had to pay a $109,000 fine to the US Environmental Protection Agency for failing to properly dispose of and store hazardous waste.

At the time, SPS Technologies was also fined for failing to have a proper contingency plan in the event of an evacuation.Officials noted that SPS Technologies employs roughly 500 p...