Honestly, the night of February 17, 2025, is a date Jenkintown and Abington won’t forget anytime soon. It started with a bang. Literally. Around 9:30 p.m., a massive explosion ripped through the SPS Technologies plant on Highland Avenue, sparking a four-alarm inferno that lit up the Montgomery County sky for days. If you live in the area, you remember the smell—that thick, acrid scent of burning industrial materials—and the sight of 68 different fire companies from across the Delaware Valley rushing to the scene.
It was chaotic.
But now that the smoke has finally cleared and the lawsuits are starting to fly, we have a much clearer SPS Technologies fire update on why things went south so fast and what the future looks like for the hundreds of workers who lost their jobs.
The Night the Sky Turned Orange
When the fire broke out, 60 employees were inside working the second shift. It’s a miracle everyone got out alive. You’ve got to give credit to the first responders; they were battling 19-degree temperatures and frozen hose lines while trying to keep the flames away from massive stores of hazardous chemicals like trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride.
The building was a monster—600,000 square feet of aerospace history.
By the time the fire was officially "suppressed" nearly 114 hours later, 80% of the facility was nothing but twisted steel and ash. Abington Police Chief Patrick Molloy didn't mince words when he called the lack of casualties a "miracle." But while lives were saved, the local economy took a gut punch.
Why Didn't the Sprinklers Work?
This is where things get messy.
Information eventually trickled out during community meetings that the facility's sprinkler system was inoperable at the time of the explosion. It was reportedly being rebuilt or under maintenance. You can imagine how that went over with the neighbors. For a plant that handles 177 tons of chemicals a year—some of which the EPA labeled "ignitable" in a 2023 violation report—having a dead fire suppression system is a massive red flag.
The Investigation Results
The Fire Marshal eventually ruled the cause "undetermined" but "accidental." They narrowed it down to the compressed air system. Basically, something in that infrastructure failed, but because the damage was so catastrophic, investigators couldn't point to the exact bolt or wire that started the chain reaction.
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The Human Cost: Layoffs and Litigation
The aftermath wasn't just about cleaning up charred debris. In March 2025, SPS Technologies (a subsidiary of Precision Castparts, which is owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway) dropped a bombshell: they were laying off roughly 250 employees.
That’s half the workforce.
- Many of these people had been there for 20, 30, even 40 years.
- The severance offered? A measly four weeks.
- Local officials were furious, even writing letters to Buffett himself asking for a better deal for the workers.
Meanwhile, a class-action lawsuit led by local residents is moving through the courts. People found charred debris on their lawns and spent days worrying if the runoff into Tookany Creek would poison their groundwater. While the DEP says the drinking water is safe, the trust is gone.
Looking Ahead: The Rebuild Plan
So, what is the current SPS Technologies fire update for 2026?
Surprisingly, they aren't leaving. In late 2025, the company unveiled a plan to build a "factory of the future" on the same site. It’s going to be about 30% smaller than the old plant—roughly 350,000 square feet—but way more high-tech.
They’re aiming for LEED certification, solar panels, and a much greener footprint. Construction is slated to begin this year (2026), with the goal of being fully production-ready by 2028. For the aerospace industry, this is huge. SPS is a "sole supplier" for certain critical fasteners used by Boeing, GE, and NASA. Without this plant, the global aircraft supply chain actually hits a major bottleneck.
Actionable Insights for the Community
If you're a local resident or a former employee, here is how you should handle the ongoing situation:
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1. Stay on top of the soil testing. While air and water samples came back clean, many residents are still pushing for independent ground testing due to the "black rain" of debris that fell during the fire. If you have debris on your property, document it.
2. Watch the Class Action. The lawsuit (Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky is one of the firms involved) is still active. If you suffered lost wages or property damage, you might still be eligible to join the pool of plaintiffs.
3. Monitor Job Openings. While 2028 feels far away, the company has expressed a desire to hire back "expert" workers when the new facility opens. Keep an eye on local Abington Township announcements for workforce development programs linked to the rebuild.
The site at 301 Highland Avenue is currently being cleared. It’s a quiet end to a century of manufacturing, but if the rebuild goes as planned, the next chapter for SPS Technologies will be a lot safer than the last one.