SPS fire update: Investigators work to find cause after massive blaze ...

ABINGTON TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- A Disaster Emergency has been declared in Abington Township after a massive industrial fire at SPS Technologies in Montgomery County.

There continues to be an active scene as investigators work to figure out what caused the blaze.

A shelter-in-place and voluntary evacuations are also still in effect amid air quality concerns in the area.

Officials are expected to give an update on efforts at 10 a.m. Wednesday. A website has also been established by Abington Township, where residents can go to for updates.

Chopper Six was over what's left of the factory that broke out around 9:43 p.m. Monday in the 300 block of Highland Avenue in Jenkintown , Pennsylvania.

Now, two days later, smoke is still rising and much of the rubble is coated in a layer of ice from nonstop spraying.

"When you look at the size of this building, some 500 thousand square feet and multi layers the difficulty to access our firefighters out in that weather and with equipment, it's very difficult for them to completely extinguish this fire," said Patrick Molloy, Chief of Abington Township Police.

The fire, which rose to four-alarms at the height of it, has prompted a shelter-in-place, voluntary evacuations and school closures.

Roughly 700 people were asked to voluntarily evacuate late Tuesday afternoon "while conditions permit" because of concerns over air quality, which environmental officials are continuing to monitor.

A temporary shelter has been established at the Cheltenham High School's auditorium, located at 500 Rices Mill Road in Wyncote.

Residents have been asked to bring two days' worth of belongings. For evacuees with pets, Hopewell Veterinary Hospital is offering free boarding.

If transportation is needed, residents can call 610-635-4300.

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 voluntary evacuation order affects 247 homes, many of them in Jenkintown. As of right now, there is no word on when people will be able to return home.

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

Fire Fallout

This fire has caused ongoing stress for the community, with neighbors on edge and no clear timeline on when it'll end.

"It's just so surreal," said Dan Katz, owner of The Highland Restaurant.

"There's nothing more important than protecting the members of our community," Molloy said.

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

As of now, officials say no hazardous materials have been detected. But the EPA and the DEP continue to conduct air quality tests inside the perimeter where the fire happened and also in the neighborhood.

"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," Molloy said.

"It could be week before you see the effect of this type of an exposure," said Dr. Jamie Garfield, a Temple Health pulmonologist. "And everyone is at risk, just to be clear."

The thick plumes of smoke and raging fire could be seen for miles on Monday and Tuesday as it destroying the facility, which makes fasteners for aerospace equipment.

No one was injured but 60 employees were evacuated.

SEPTA regional rail lines have reopened; however, Noble Train Station, Glenside Train Station and Jenkintown Train Station remain closed until further notice.

As lives are disrupted, Action News is also finding members of the community stepping up to help.

"I'm happy they are able to be here in warmth, use bathrooms. We've been feeding them and we're just so thankful for all the first responder volunteers helping our community," Katz said.

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.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.