Massive Fire at Captive Heat Treater
From the “Philadelphia Inquirer” we have this story about a massive fire at aerospace fastener supplier “SPS Technologies”in Jenkintown, PA, USA. We mention this story as the company has a very substantial in house heat treat department although at this point in time it is unknown whether the fire originated there.
“A shelter-in-place was still active within a one-mile radius and area schools were closed Tuesday after a 4-alarm fire ripped through an aerospace parts supplier in Montgomery County on Monday night, officials said.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m., police received multiple 911 calls of an explosion at SPS Technologies industrial complex on Highland Avenue, in Jenkintown, Abington Police Chief Patrick Molloy said at a Tuesday morning news conference. When first responders arrived, they were met with multiple explosions at the complex, he said.
Firefighters from 68 fire companies responded to battle the blaze, Molloy said, and many were still on scene Tuesday morning trying to put the fire fully under control. As of Tuesday morning, no injuries were reported, he said.
Due to concerns over air quality and water contamination, a shelter-in-place was activated for residents within a one-mile radius of the scene, Molloy said. Hazmat teams are still monitoring air quality and water runoff from the scene, but have not detected any threats to the public, he said.
SPS Technologies manufactures fasteners and other small metal equipment for the aerospace and other industries, said Abington Fire Marshal Chris Platz. Fire officials were initially concerned that if some of the heat treating chemicals used at the facility mixed, they could form arsenic, said Abington Fire Chief Mike Jones.
The company was founded more than a century ago as Standard Pressed Steel Company. The Abington complex is described as 560,000 square feet and is a source for parts throughout the aerospace industry.
The site is within a few hundred feet of the nearest homes and an athletic field with several baseball diamonds.”
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