SPS fire: Some Abington Township residents asked to voluntarily ...

ABINGTON TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- A four-alarm fire tore through an industrial complex in Abington Township, Pennsylvania on Monday night.

The shelter-in-place order initially was in effect until the incident was under control because smoke and particulates from the fire were filtering across the area, officials said. But residents and businesses in the immediate area near the plant - roughly 700 people - were asked to voluntarily evacuate late Tuesday afternoon "while conditions permit" because of concerns over air quality.

There is a voluntary evacuation for residents and businesses within the following streets:

• 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

The evacuation shelter will be at the auditorium at Cheltenham High School located at 500 Rices Mill Road in Wyncote. Residents can call 610-635-4300 if you need transportation to the evacuation center.

Residents have been asked to bring two days' worth of belongings.

What we know about fire

The fire broke out around 9:43 p.m. Monday at SPS Technologies, located on the 300 block of Highland Avenue in Montgomery County.

Many roads in the area remain blocked off as crews target hot spots.

Black smoke could still be seen billowing out of the building Tuesday afternoon, more than 13 hours after the first alarm.

"There's nothing more important than protecting the members of our community," said Abington Police Chief Patrick Molloy when speaking about the voluntary evacuations that impacting about 247 homes.

The view from Chopper 6 on Monday night showed heavy flames consuming the property.

Officials said the building was immediately evacuated and all occupants have been accounted for.

People nearby rushed out of their homes to see what was going on. Some witnesses reported hearing explosions.

Officials said 68 different fire companies in the area responded to the scene.

Aqua, SEPTA, as well as Pennsylvania and federal EPA officials are on site. Departments of public safety from Bucks, Montgomery and Chester counties also responded.

Shelter-In-Place

The flames caused explosions and what's inside the industrial complex is of great concern to county officials and residents.

Any residence or business within a one-mile radius of the complex should remain closed until further notice.

That guidance covers around 17,000 residents.

"What's burning, what's in the air? What are we breathing in? How long is this going to go on for?" asked Maria Duffy, from Glenside, who is sheltering in place with her family.

Hazmat & Air Quality

Hazmat crews are continuing to monitor air quality and runoff water in the area. So far, officials say tests have not detected any threats to the public.

"We had concerns that if some of the chemicals were to mix, it could form arsenic which could get in the air and in the smoke that's coming off the fire," said Abington Fire Chief Mike Jones.

"We do know that they use very harsh chemicals in the aeronautical engineering process of making bolts and fasteners. So out of an abundance of caution, we made that decision to self evacuate," added Chief Molloy.

The City of Philadelphia said they are also monitoring the air quality from the fire event.

"It could be weeks before you see the effect of this type of exposure," explained Dr. Jamie Garfield, a Temple Health pulmonologist.

Two years ago, SPS technologies had to pay a fine of $109,000 to the EPA, for failing to properly dispose of and store hazardous waste, as well as failure to have a clear contingency plan for evacuation.

Schools Closed

The Abington School District and Jenkintown School District will be closed on Wednesday.

SEPTA Impacts

SEPTA says the fire is also impacting service on the Doylestown and Warminster regional rail lines.

SEPTA is supplementing service on the Chestnut Hill East and Fox Chase Lines to accommodate passengers who are using those lines as an alternative. Trains will run approximately every half hour.

No injuries have been reported, although officials said there are concerns after first responders were exposed to the hazardous materials.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

According to its website, SPS Technologies manufactures fasteners and other components for aerospace, transportation, racing, farm and industrial markets.