Massive fire sweeps through Abington warehouse in Montco. What ...

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"This family was extremely lucky." Bensalem police announce arson arrest

Bensalem authorities explain how authorities identified a Michigan man as the suspect in an arson fire that injured six people on Feb. 10, 2025.

A massive fire at a commercial building in Abington Township in Montgomery County has residents and businesses sheltering in place. Crews responded to the building fire at SPS Technologies, at 301 Highland Ave. in Jenkintown, around 9:35 p.m. Monday night. Sixty-eight fire companies have responded to the fire, which reached four alarms at its peak.

“Witness statements indicated that there was an explosion within the building and flames could be seen inside the warehouse structure,” police said in a released statement. “The building was immediately evacuated, and all employees are accounted for. There were no reported injuries.”

First responders are still at the active scene and officials are asking for people to avoid the area. The fire was still smoldering Tuesday morning. Around 10 a.m., residents began reporting seeing thicker smoke than before at the site, and heard fire alarms sound.

"At this time, the fire is contained but remains active," Abington Township wrote in a press release at 10:40 a.m. "Fire personnel remain on site and will continue to work tirelessly until the fire is out."

The township wrote on Facebook after 11 a.m. that it is "aware of continued activity at the SPS location and are asking all impacted residents and businesses within one mile to continue to shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice."

A planned 12 p.m. update has been pushed to 12:30 p.m. due to "changing conditions," the township posted on Facebook.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, who lives in the area with his family, said Tuesday the state Department of Environmental Protection is on site.

"@PennsylvaniaDEP is on the ground coordinating with local hazmat teams, monitoring air quality, water runoff, and hazardous materials for any threat to the public. A shelter-in-place order within 1 mile of the facility is in effect due to the smoke filtering across the area. Please follow the directions of local authorities, and follow," he tweeted on X.

Local hazmat and DEP tests of the air and water runoff have "not detected any threats to the public" so far, Abington Township Police Chief Patrick Molloy said at a Tuesday press conference, adding that monitoring will continue over the next several days.

The EPA has also been on site, Molloy said.

Service on SEPTA regional rail lines, including the West Trenton, Lansdale/Doylestown and Warminster, remains suspended Tuesday morning due to the fire. At the direction of the Abington Fire Marshal, Montgomery County Hazmat Team and the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management, the Abington School District, Jenkintown School District and all private and parochial schools will be closed on Tuesday.

Schools were closed as a precaution in case of air or water contamination, and because of the firefighting equipment still at the scene, Abington Fire Company Chief Mike Jones said.

“Smoke and particulates from this fire is filtering across the area. For this reason, a shelter in place order has been initiated and is currently in effect until this incident is under control,” police said.

Township offices are also closed, and trash pickup in the Glenside area has been pushed to Wednesday, Abington Township announced on Facebook.

Hazmat crews are monitoring air quality and advised that any residence or business within a 1-mile radius of this location remain closed until further notice, police said.

Firefighters had pre-planned the building site as part of their emergency preparedness, Jones said, so they were aware of what chemicals were on site. Emergency personnel were aware that some of the chemicals on site could've combined to form arsenic, but that has not been found so far, Jones said.

The Abington Township Police Detective Division in conjunction with the Township Fire Marshal’s office is investigating.

SPS Technologies, which is a longtime business in Abington, “is a leading developer, manufacturer, and global supplier of aerospace nuts, bolts, and associated products with 20 major product lines,” according to its website.