Authorities have classified the cause of the massive blaze at SPS Technologies in Abington Township as “undetermined,” despite confirming it began in the compressed air system. According to the Abington Township Fire Marshal’s Office, NFPA 921 guidelines require a fire to be deemed undetermined when multiple hypotheses cannot be eliminated, as per Glenside Local. The fire erupted on February 17 and took firefighters more than 114 hours to extinguish. No injuries were reported.
SPS Technologies, founded in 1903 and known for manufacturing aerospace fasteners and fittings, lost about 80 percent of its original building. At a community meeting on Thursday, officials said the company plans to build a new 350,000-square-foot facility with solar panels and green spaces, as confirmed by NBC Philadelphia. Some operations have been temporarily moved to Langhorne.
No evidence of malicious intent or negligence was found, and the incident is not considered criminal. Fire Marshal Chris Platz noted SPS Technologies’ cooperation in the investigation.
FOX 29 reported that the new aerospace facility is expected to be completed by 2028 and create hundreds of jobs. SPS Technologies has set up a hotline at 215-572-3326 and an email at [email protected] for community inquiries and updates.
