6 Hours, 250,000 Gallons Of Water: How Montco Firefighters Contained A Disaster

WEST NORRITON, PA — It took some eight hours of battling roaring flames and more than 250,000 gallons of water, but when all was said and done in West Norriton Township Monday night, the worst case scenario had been avoided.

There were no injuries. And the blaze, as destructive as it was, did not jump to adjacent warehouses, homes, or woods around the area.

The blaze that firefighters called "extremely intense" spread rapidly, leading to four alarms and a massive response from emergency responders from across Montgomery and Chester counties.

The precise origin and cause remain unknown, but it began at around 11:20 a.m. at the playground equipment manufacturer Superior Play Systems. That's located on the 2500 block of Industry Lane, a commercial area with multiple warehouses immediately adjacent to a residential neighborhood.

The warehouse was quickly evacuated, and neighboring facilities evacuated as well. Jefferson Fire Company and first responders arriving on the scene found flames engulfing much of the warehouse, coming from the roof and out of the doors, and black plumes of smoke rising high in the sky and visible for dozens of miles around.

Firefighters from numerous mutual aid companies laid thousands of feet of hose. Other engines set up and attacked the blaze from the top of ladders.

A dedicated tanker task force, meanwhile, shuttled more water back and forth from the fill site at Norriton Fire Engine Company on Germantown Pike.

"Due to complex water supply challenges, command would eventually request the Large Diameter Hose (LDH) strike team to the scene, in an effort to secure a water supply from a separate system farther away," Lower Frederick Fire Company said.

The fire rapidly spread and quickly consumed the warehouse. Much of it had already collapsed within an hour or so of battling the blaze.

Fortunately, no one was trapped inside the factory at any point, and no extraction services were required.

Crews remained fully engaged with the blaze until it was finally brought under control at around 5:15 p.m.

The scene remained active into the evening and overnight, with relief crews and many responders still on hand to secure the scene.

As powerful as it was, firefighters were able to contain the fire to Superior Play Systems. Neighbors like Corropolese Bakery, whose main baking facility is next door, were not harmed.

"Thank you to the first responders who have quickly mobilized to respond to this warehouse fire in West Norriton," Commissioner Jamila Winder said. "We are grateful for your dedication and service."

Superior Play Systems, meanwhile, says that despite the damage, their business remains functional and they are still processing orders.

"First and most importantly, everyone is safe," Superior Play Systems shared. "We are incredibly grateful to all of the local first responders and support teams for their swift actions to contain the situation. While we are deeply saddened by the damage to this location, we want to reassure our local families that Superior Play Systems is still fully operational."

The investigation into the incident, along with the cleanup process, remains underway.