Philadelphia Officials Investigate Air And Water Quality After Massive Abington Fire

Philadelphia officials are investigating the air and water quality throughout the city today.

The City's Office of Emergency Management confirmed in a statement shared with the public just before 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

They say they've dispatched inspectors to the area to collect air samples and assess air quality and water quality for any threat following Monday evening's massive fire at the SPS Technologies Plant in nearby Abington, Pa. (that's in Montgomery County, Pa).

The fire was first reported following an explosion inside the plant around 9:30 p.m. on Monday. The plant is a manufacturing space for aerospace fasteners and fittings, they say.

All employees were able to safely escape as the blaze broke out last night, the Inquirer reports.

But the inferno burned well into the morning on Monday before being brought under control, but concerns of hazmat issues in the air quality and water supply remain in the immediate area (in both Montgomery County) and Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Investigates Possible Air Quality Effects from Abington, Pa. Fire

The Philadelphia Health Department dispatched inspectors to the city's Fox Chase neighborhood to collect air samples and assess the air quality and the potential for any threat caused by the Abington Township fire.

"At this time, no specific hazardous substances have been identified," they said.

The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, Philadelphia Fire Department, and Philadelphia Water Department are all a part of the massive response from the City.

Nearby Residents Asked to Shelter in Place

Residents in the immediate area of the first have been asked to shelter in place for much of the day on Tuesday. In fact, this resulted in several schools and businesses closing today as well.

The 'shelter in place' advisory is in effect for a one mile radius around the warehouse, which is located at 301 Highland Avenue.

That's about two miles from the Philadelphia border.

SEPTA Service Affected By Abington Fire

Meanwhile, SEPTA has suspended service on some regional rail lines due to the fire (which is burning near Glenside Station).

Service has been suspended for much of the day on the Lansdale/Doylestown, West Trenton and Warminster regional rail lines.