December 26, 2024
Philadelphia Fire Department/Facebook
The Arway Linen facility at 1696 Foulkrod St. was destroyed by a Christmas Eve fire.
Update 3:53 p.m.:
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health said Thursday afternoon that residents living in the area of Foulkrod and Duffield streets could resume their normal routines after test samples showed there were no toxic compounds at the site of the fire.
A fire on Christmas Eve destroyed the Arway Linen building in Frankford, but the company said it is continuing operations through the holiday season.
About 120 Philadelphia Fire Department members responded to the three-alarm fire, which began at 1696 Foulkrod St. around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and took more than 12 hours to extinguish. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
"We are okay. Our building is not," Arway Linen said Wednesday evening in a Facebook post.
The company, which provides linen and uniform rentals for restaurants, said deliveries and services will continues as it replenishes lost inventory. It said its "product offerings will temporarily be modified." Arway Linen had already planned to move to a new facility in Port Richmond in 2025.
Our facility in Frankford is gone. We want to thank all responders for their incredible efforts in containing this...
Posted by Arway Linen on Wednesday, December 25, 2024
City officials said Wednesday morning they were investigating potentially hazardous air quality in the area. The Department of Public Health sent inspectors to the scene of the blaze to assess any threats "out of an abundance of caution."
The department said "no specific hazardous substances have been identified," but it warned sensitive groups, such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions to stay inside or avoid the area.
The Department of Public Health did not respond to a request for an update on the air quality warning and whether residents should remain indoors.
