No Health, Air Quality Concerns Following SW Philly Junkyard Fire

PHILADELPHIA — After a junkyard in Southwest Philadelphia caught fire Monday, officials said there is no health risk.

The Philadelphia Fire Department was called to a junkyard at 61st and Passyunk Avenue at about 3:15 p.m. Monday.

Crews had the fire under control at about 3:35 p.m.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health sent inspectors to the area to assess health impacts from the fire, as vehicles were involved.

Health officials said residents in the area of the fire located can return to their normal routines.

The fire caused no recorded rise in the amount of particulate matter, or PM 2.5, or other criteria pollutants at any of the City’s monitors.

Additionally, no toxic compounds were identified at the site of the fire at levels that would pose a threat to human health.

This comes after Air Management Services inspectors collected an air sample in the immediate vicinity of the fire early Monday evening.

This sample was run through the AMS Lab’s gas chromatography–mass spectrometer.

The results of that test showed that no toxic compounds were identified in quantities that would threaten human health.