Residents near SPS Technologies fire asked to evacuate over air quality concerns
Officials have asked residents living on certain roads to voluntarily leave the area due to air quality concerns.
Residents and businesses in the immediate area of SPS Technologies were asked to evacuate Tuesday afternoon due to concerns over air quality in the wake of a massive industrial fire that began Monday night at the facility, Abington Township officials said in a news release.
In an alert issued around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, officials asked those in nearby homes and businesses to evacuate within the hour “while conditions permit.”
People located in the following areas were asked voluntarily evacuate:
Stewart Avenue
Runnymede Avenue
Florence Avenue between Runnymede Avenue and West Avenue
Highland Avenue between Hillside Ave and West Avenue
Rodman Avenue between Walnut Street and Runnymede Avenue
Hillside Avenue between Florence Avenue and Walnut Street
Myrtle Avenue between Runnymede Avenue and Rodman Avenue
Officials said there were around 250 homes in the evacuation zone, mostly in Jenkintown. The voluntary evacuation in the immediate area was due to an abundance of caution, Abington Police Chief Patrick Molloy said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. The notice came after the fire reignited Tuesday morning, and authorities were uncertain whether additional flare-ups could occur as firefighters continued to work to place the fire under control. While officials had not yet determined the cause of the fire or where in the SPS Technologies complex it began, Molloy said that it remained “unpredictable” due to the chemical nature of the blaze.
» READ MORE: What we know about the fire at SPS Technologies in Abington
Officials also set up an evacuation shelter in the auditorium of Cheltenham High School, located at 500 Rices Mill Rd. in Wyncote. Residents who are able to self-evacuate should drive to the high school or another location outside the evacuation area, township officials said.
Officials said that residents who are evacuating should bring a minimum of two days worth of prescriptions with them, as well as any needed medical devices and identification.
Residents who need transportation to leave the area should call 610-635-4300 for assistance. Additionally, emergency responders will begin checking door-to-door on residents to assist those in the impacted area, officials said.
Those who are not located in the evacuation area, but are within one mile of the SPS Technologies complex, should continue to observe the shelter-in-place order. Other residents have been asked to avoid the area.
Staff artist John Duchneskie contributed to this article.