In the News

By Kenny Cooper and Emily Neil

Monday evening’s blaze at an aerospace parts manufacturing facility in Jenkintown was still smoldering as of Wednesday morning.

Fire crews continue to douse the remnants of the four-alarm inferno at SPS Technologies. Although it has not been completely extinguished, local authorities are lifting Tuesday’s evacuation order and shelter-in-place order.

Officials in Abington, Cheltenham and Jenkintown will continue to monitor the situation in the event of another flare-up. Residents are urged to follow further updates on the township website.

“This is going to be a long-term operation,” Jenkintown Police Chief Thomas Scott said at Wednesday morning’s joint press conference in Abington.

Abington Township issued a disaster emergency declaration on Wednesday. The declaration allows the township emergency management coordinator to take all actions necessary to address the disaster.

Air quality monitoring finds no chemicals of concern

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection officials are still on site. Abington Police Chief Patrick Molloy read a statement from the DEP to begin the presser.

“DEP has conducted initial sampling of the Tookany Creek. Low levels of chemicals of concern were found in the creek immediately downstream of the fire,” Molloy said. “There are no drinking water intakes from the Tookany Creek area, the DEP will resample the creek later today.”

According to the DEP, water samples taken from the Delaware River did not detect any chemicals of concern.

The DEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are monitoring air quality and have not detected any chemicals of concern. The DEP is currently working on a website to show how and where the agency is monitoring air quality.

Molloy said there are plans to coordinate demolition efforts at the site later today with firefighters and SPS and county engineers.

Scott said Jenkintown School District will reopen soon.

“We’re going to be continuing to monitor the community that was impacted throughout the immediate days and weeks,” Scott said. “The plan is that this monitoring will not stop in any shape or form for at least weeks or months from now.”

SEPTA service on the Lansdale/Doylestown, Warminster and West Trenton lines resumed Wednesday.

Investigation continues

Federal officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Abington’s Office of the Fire Marshal are investigating how the fire started.

“It’s a unique case for us,” Abington Fire Marshal Chris Platz said. “This is not an everyday thing. It’s also a large incident. The building is over 600,000 square feet, so it’s something that we are going to have to take piece by piece. So right now we are evaluating where to start and where to begin — how to make progress forward. It’s going to be a long process. I wish I had some answers. But again, we are very, very much in the infancy phase.”

Much of the “minutiae” of the investigation won’t begin until the fire is officially suppressed, officials said. At its peak, 68 crews from across the region were working to quell the blaze. Platz said officials from SPS Technologies have been working alongside first responders to manage the crisis.

“They understand the impact this makes on not only the community but the residents, the employees, their jobs and it’s been great to work with them as we figure out how to move forward from here,” Platz said.

The future of SPS Technologies

U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, who grew up in the area, said she wants SPS Technologies to rebuild because of its importance to the local economy. Dean’s father-in-law worked at the facility during the World War II effort. She said she would advocate for support as a member of the House appropriations committee.

“I’m going to fight to see whatever resources we can get to make sure SPS and the jobs stay here, if it is at all possible,” she said. “And I think with partners like this, we’re going to be able to do it.”

Community support

For residents who had to evacuate or shelter in place, Molloy said there is no immediate need for donations.

Molloy said the hundreds of first responders fighting the blaze have been “overwhelmed by the community support.”

“It’s nonstop dropping off food and desserts and cases of water,” he said. “So on behalf of everybody up here, the township manager, our elected officials, our public safety professionals, not only here, but county-wide, I just want to thank the members of our community for their generosity.”

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