A large fire has ripped through a playground-equipment warehouse in Pennsylvania, sending thick black smoke over the surrounding area and prompting the evacuation of neighbouring buildings, though everyone inside the business is reported to have escaped unharmed.
The blaze broke out shortly before 11.30am on Monday at Superior Play Systems, in the 2500 block of Industry Lane in West Norriton Township, Montgomery County, just off North Trooper Road. According to CBS Philadelphia, helicopter footage showed heavy flames and dense smoke pouring from the building, which sits in an industrial park alongside other warehouses and close to a residential neighbourhood.
What began as a fire-alarm call escalated rapidly. Dispatch records cited by local outlets indicate the alarm was first received at about 11.17am, before callers reported smoke and flames at the rear of the building minutes later. The fire grew quickly through the morning, climbing from three alarms to four as additional crews were summoned. By early afternoon, broadcaster 6abc reported, it remained at four alarms, with help drawn in from neighbouring Chester County. Images from the scene showed flames breaking through the roof and parts of the structure already collapsing, and firefighters were warned to observe collapse zones around the building amid concerns over its stability.
Crucially, no injuries have been reported. Todd Stieritz, deputy director of the Montgomery County Public Safety Department, said all occupants of the business had been able to get out, according to the Bucks County Courier Times, and firefighters were working to evacuate surrounding premises as a precaution. It was not immediately clear whether any visitors had been inside; the company operates a showroom that, according to its website, hosts an “open play” session for children on Monday afternoons.
Superior Play Systems, which owns the building, supplies recreational products including wooden play-sets, trampolines, basketball hoops, game courts and commercial playground equipment, and has additional locations in New Jersey and Doylestown.
The cause of the fire has not been established. The Philadelphia Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said on social media that it was assisting the West Norriton Fire Marshal with the investigation into the warehouse fire.
The response stretched well beyond West Norriton, with fire and emergency units from across Montgomery and Chester counties sent to the scene. The smoke was visible for miles, and officials in Upper Merion Township, across the Schuylkill River, sought to reassure residents there that they faced no immediate hazard.
Township officials, meanwhile, urged people to stay away. Residents were encouraged to avoid the area to allow emergency crews to work, and drivers were warned to expect road closures and traffic delays.
