ABINGTON — Gov. Josh Shapiro visited the SPS Technologies site on Saturday, days after a massive fire ripped through the manufacturing plant, forcing school closures, mass transit disruption and evacuation of nearby homes amid air quality concerns.
Shapiro was joined by First Lady Lori Shapiro, along with fellow elected officials, as he toured the destruction caused by the Monday night fire that has been contained, but not yet fully extinguished. The Shapiros live with their children in Abington.
Shapiro acknowledged the efforts of the hundreds of volunteer firefighters from 68 companies who battled the massive blaze with no injuries or fatalities.
“Thank God every employee got out safe, and thank God for these firefighters and our first responders and our police. They’re the best of us,” Shapiro said. “They ran toward danger and they kept us safe. They saved the community. Not a single home in this area caught fire, notwithstanding those high winds.”
Fire continues burning at SPS Technologies warehouse in Montgomery County
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4-alarm blaze
The four-alarm fire broke out Monday night at the 625,000-square-foot fastener manufacturing plant located at 301 Highland Ave. Around 92 employees were inside at the time of the fire, according to SPS Communications Director David Dugan, and all were safely evacuated.
Shapiro on Saturday engaged with firefighters and heads of departments, shaking hands and offering his gratitude for their ongoing efforts. Firefighters told Shapiro the “guys didn’t hesitate” to confront the massive inferno inside the building. Others noted it’s been 110 hours and they’re “hoping to get the fire [fully] under control today.”
“Y’all are heroes,” Shapiro could be heard saying to the firefighters gathered near the rubble.
Value of volunteers
Shapiro talked about the collaboration of government and first responder agencies at the local, state and federal level, including volunteer fire departments like the Weldon Fire Company.
“I’ve grown up here with these fire departments. They are the best of the best. I hope folks understand,” said Shapiro, who grew up in Abington Township. “They volunteer their time to do this because they care so deeply about this community.”
Weldon Fire Chief Keith Maslin noted the trials faced by firefighters over the past week as they worked to quell existing hotspots.
“It’s been very rough. The weather, the conditions, no sleep, missing our families. It’s just been rough, but the end result is what we go for. No one got killed, no one got hurt, that is unbelievable with this kind of damage,” Maslin told MediaNews Group.
Community support
The adjacent Highland Restaurant and Bar in Glenside served as a command post for first responders in the fire’s early hours, said Jenkintown Police Chief Tom Scott. Shapiro acknowledged the restaurant’s help and stressed the importance of the community lending a hand during times of tragedy.
“They could have ran away. Instead, they ran here, turned on their ovens, turned on their skillets, started cooking for folks here, even though their buildings were in a position of vulnerability,” Shapiro said, referring to restaurant owner Dan Katz. “You saw the best of us here.
“You saw people helping their neighbors, and I must say, I was on the ground in Northeast Philly two weeks ago after that horrific aviation accident. I’ve been to, unfortunately, too many disaster sites across Pennsylvania, [the] thing that always inspires me are first responders and neighbors helping neighbors, and that’s exactly what we saw here in Abington,” he continued.
Abington Township Police Chief Patrick Molloy also underscored the importance of collaboration and of the role volunteer firefighters play in the community.
“… It’s the ultimate team sport: police, fire, EMS, state, local and federal resources all coming to the area, and we had lines of people getting rest and others jumping in to fight the fire,” Molloy told MediaNews Group. “It is really encouraging to sit back as a chief of police, as a paid employee, really inspired by the amount of selflessness and heroism by our volunteer firefighters.”
Abington Township lifts shelter-in-place, evacuation notices following SPS Technologies fire
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Air quality
Air quality concerns from the major public safety incident closed schools and suspended regional rail transit on Tuesday. Shelter-in-place and evacuation orders for the surrounding neighborhood were lifted on Wednesday and SEPTA’s lines resumed on Wednesday.
The Abington and Cheltenham school districts have since resumed operations, while Jenkintown School District will continue offering virtual learning options for students and will resume full in-person operations next Wednesday, Feb. 26, according to the district’s website.
“I can report that the Department of Environmental Protection has been working to test both the drinking water and the air quality for the neighbors. We have seen no concerning results in either the drinking water or the air quality,” Shapiro said, noting that SPS Technologies will continue monitoring efforts with “oversight” from the state agency.
Shapiro sought to assure area residents that “the water when they turn on the tap is safe to drink, and that their air is safe to breathe.”
State Sen. Art Haywood acknowledged hearing similar concerns from his constituents throughout the state’s 4th Legislative District, which includes the area surrounding SPS Technologies.
“It created a lot of fear among neighbors, particularly regarding air quality and water quality,” Haywood said.
Area remains closed
Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were stationed at the scene. Road closures remain in effect in and around the factory as barricades, fencing, and signage have been installed.
Road closures include Highland Avenue, between Glenside Avenue and Wharton Road; Kenmore Avenue, between Stewart Road and Highland Avenue; as well as Mount Carmel Avenue closed at Highland Avenue, according to a statement from Abington Township officials.
“This area is very dangerous because of the structural integrity of that building; just abide by the signage and the gates,” Molloy said.
Demolition is expected as a “necessary step to extinguishing the fire” in order for “fire suppression equipment to reach these locations,” officials said.
SPS Technologies employs nearly 500 people in the manufacture of fasteners for aerospace-related products and has been in the area for more than 100 years, according to the company’s website.
“We are committed to protecting the health and safety of the community and working to understand the extent of the damage and its impact,” SPS Technologies said in a statement. “We understand that there’s concerns about the chemicals stored on site.”
Update: Massive industrial fire at SPS Technologies in Montgomery County prompts evacuation order
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‘Mass casualty’ avoided
Molloy acknowledged during a press conference earlier this week the critical tactics taken to stave off “what could have been a mass casualty incident.”
“That mass casualty incident was averted thanks to the tactical training knowledge of our volunteer firefighters and leaders, who upon arrival, started saturating an area where they knew those chemicals were,” Molloy told MediaNews Group on Saturday.
While the exact chemical properties remain unknown, Dugan said they’re “used in conjunction with water and fluid to prep the parts for protection against the elements.” A community hotline was established where people can ask questions and submit concerns to the company by calling 215-572-3326 or emailing contactSPS@pccairframe.com.
County and state officials recognized SPS Technologies’ ongoing cooperation as the investigation process continues into the circumstances leading up to the fire.
“I’ve been to disaster scenes where the industry or the private sector partners have not acted like partners. That was not the case here,” Shapiro said. “They worked with local law enforcement, with first responders here quite well. They’re working right now in the commonwealth, and I know the county is going to be very involved in helping make sure these employees get back up on their feet, and get the opportunity to either work here at SPS or find other work.”
Officials noted the company has a significant presence in the area, Dugan said, adding they expect to continue compensating employees through “at least the middle of March” as company representatives assess current equipment viability.
While Haywood noted “extremely preliminary” discussions coming out of Harrisburg, he noted that “unemployment compensation [for] individuals” is a priority as state and county elected and commerce officials evaluate prospective options.
“There will be a concerted effort from the federal, state and local government to see what we can do,” Haywood told MediaNews Group.
“SPS is an iconic company,” Shapiro said, adding that “after all of our years living here, we saw a lot of damage, a lot of destruction. I’m hopeful SPS will … rebuild here and remain in the Abington community.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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