February 19, 2025
Provided Image/Ryan Schlegale
Smoke is shown rising from the SPS Technologies factory at 301 Highland Ave. in Jenkintown on Tuesday morning. The building caught fire Monday but had a flare-up Tuesday. Firefighters now are working with demolition crews to extinguish hot spots.
Three days after the SPS Technologies factory in Jenkintown caught fire, demolition crews are being brought in to tear down parts of the complex – a move that will help firefighters extinguish the remaining hot spots, officials said Wednesday morning.
The voluntary evacuation notice surrounding the factory and the shelter-in-place order covering a 1-mile radius were lifted at 11 a.m.
"The fire is not officially suppressed. All of the readings that the DEP and the EPA and our (hazardous materials) folks took are indicating zero particles — saying that the air quality is safe," Abington Township Police Chief Patrick Molloy said, referencing the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "The plan is to continue to fight the fire using structural engineers and other apparatus, a demolition crew."
The fire started Monday night with an explosion at the 500,000-square-foot factory on Highland Road, near the border of Abington and Jenkintown. About 60 employees evacuated the building, and no injuries were reported. Nearly 70 fire companies in the region have assisted in fighting the fire, which had a secondary explosion and flare-up Tuesday morning.
The Pennsylvania DEP sampled water runoff to the nearby Tookany Creek and found low levels of unspecified chemicals that do not pose a threat to the public, officials said. SPS Technologies is a manufacturer of fasteners and other components for the aerospace industry and other sectors. The factory contains a wide range of chemicals used in the company's manufacturing processes, which prompted Tuesday's shelter-in-place and voluntary evacuations due to thick smoke entering the air.
"Drinking water supplies are not at risk," Molloy said. "Air quality monitors have not detected any chemicals of concern in the air."
DEP is creating a website where water and air quality testing results will be shared. It will be posted on Abington's page for updates on the SPS Technologies fire.
On Wednesday, schools in Abington, Jenkintown and Cheltenham were closed for the second straight day to allow for further air quality testing inside district buildings.
SEPTA has resumed normal service on the Warminster, Lansdale/Doylestown and West Trenton lines. The Jenkintown, Glenside and Noble train stations have all been reopened, officials said.
The demolition of the SPS Technologies complex, parts of which were built in the early 20th century, is expected to be a long-term operation that will continue for weeks.
U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-4th) said the SPS Technologies factory appears to be a total loss, but she plans to advocate for resources in Washington to help the company rebuild at the site.
"These are really important jobs, and this industry is very important nationally for aviation, national security and other issues," Dean said. "I'm going to be part of a voice that says, 'Let's make sure we encourage SPS Technologies to rebuild here to make sure we re-employ those who have grievously lost their employment here.'"
