Montgomery County residents are voicing their concerns over the lack of transparency three weeks after a massive fire destroyed a factory. Authorities held a meeting with community members and the states Department of Environmental Protection in an effort to provide clarity to the situation. NBC10’s Aaron Baskerville has details from the meeting.
In a standing room only meeting at the Jenkintown Library on Monday night, community residents voiced concerns following last month's fire that destroyed SPS Technologies in Abington.
And, the concern at the heart of the meeting centered on the lasting environmental impact the incident could have had on the community.
"Is it safe to let your children, and your pets and yourself, go out into your yard, work your soil, plant your plants, play in the dirt?," asked one concerned resident at Monday's meeting.
The meeting was attended by elected officials and representatives from several agencies, like the state's Department of Environmental Protection.
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However, no representatives from SPS Technologies were in attendance.
Zach Burd, a resident whose backyard faces the SPS Technologies property, said ash and debris hit his yard when the flames engulfed the factory. Since then, he told NBC10's Aaron Baskerville that he's been feeling uneasy about the lasting impact of the incident.
"I guess I worry about what I breathed during that time," he said.
The SPS Technologies fire
The SPS Technologies factory -- that produced aerospace fasteners and fittings -- caught fire on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, as multiple explosions were reportedly heard throughout the facility.
Officials said at least 60 employees were inside the building at the time. They were all evacuated and accounted for, officials said. No injuries were reported.
As the factory burned, officials established an evacuation zone and advised all residents and businesses within one mile of the SPS Technologies building to shelter in place, remain indoors and avoid the area of the fire for some time.
Officials initially said there were concerns over fire fighting materials reacting with chemicals onsite to create arsenic, though, they never found any evidence of that occurring.
Also, officials have said that any water runoff from fire fighting efforts has been kept onsite and, there was no threat that waste water would enter the community's creeks or water supplies.
They also said drinking water has not been impacted.
No reports of hazardous chemicals off-site after fire
Yet, during Monday's meeting, Brian Moore, Director of Emergency Response for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, told members of the crowd that there has not been any reports of hazardous chemicals outside the factory since the fire.
And, he said, water testing is ongoing in area streams, but no harmful chemicals have been found there either.
When pressed by those in attendance over air quality concerns, Moore told the crowd he wouldn't be concerned about soot a half mile away.
SPS Technologies, officials said, has hired a new agency to review air quality data and evaluate any ongoing health risk.
Also, since the fire, a group of attorneys have filed a class-action lawsuit against SPS Technologies.
Hotline for concerned residents
SPS Technologies launched a community hotline for "questions, comments or concerns" from the Jenkintown and Abington communities, officials said. People can call 215-572-3326 or email contactSPS@pccairframe.com.
For more information and the latest updates from Abington Township, click here.
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