WEST EASTON, Pa. – The rubble of Tuesday's massive warehouse blaze reignited early Thursday morning, calling firefighters back to the scene more than 43 hours after the fire began.
Officials said they still have few concrete answers as to the fire’s cause, and investigations could take weeks.
- Firefighting efforts continued into Wednesday afternoon at a warehouse blaze in West Easton
- West Easton fire chief William Bogari Jr. said he hopes to wrap up operations Wednesday afternoon
- Investigations into the fire’s cause continue; officials say they'll take weeks
As of Thursday afternoon, fire crews had again returned to their stations after fighting a flare-up at the warehouse.
Congresswoman Susan Wild toured the site Wednesday afternoon with West Easton mayor Dan DePaul.
The West Easton Police Department will oversee investigations into the fire.
"We continue to conduct interviews and review available resources to determine exactly when and where the fire started," West Easton Police Chief Robert Mahady II wrote in a statement. "Currently, due to several factors, it is too early to determine the exact cause and origin of this fire."
State Police Troop M Fire Marshal William Brett has been charged with determining the fire’s cause and point of origin, a process that will likely take weeks, Troop M spokesman Nathan Branosky said.
West Easton Fire Chief William Bogari Jr. said he hopes to wrap up operations at the scene Wednesday afternoon.
A section of Lehigh Drive near the warehouse reopened Thursday, with one lane in service, according to Mayor DePaul.
DEP monitoring continues
The fire, at 1550 Lehigh Drive, started shortly before 5 a.m. Tuesday, according to fire officials. Borough residents nearby reported hearing explosions around that time.
Firefighters arrived just after 5 a.m. to find the 190,000-square-foot building engulfed in flames. Twenty-three fire companies from Northampton County ultimately joined the response, plus hazmat teams from Lehigh County and Bethlehem.
Bogari said he couldn’t recall another fire of this scale in the borough.
Incident Command declared the fire under control just after 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, but firefighting efforts continued overnight and well into Wednesday.
West Easton Fire Chief William Bogari Jr. said no abnormalities in air or water quality have been measured
Fire officials Tuesday confirmed warehouse tenants used hazardous materials, and an unidentified substance washed into the Lehigh River. Bogari said the spill was "not of concern."
Hazmat teams monitored air and water near the site for contaminants. The state Department of Environmental Protection also dispatched an emergency response team to conduct testing.
So far, Bogari said, they've measured no abnormalities in air or water quality.
DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said the Lehigh River spill had been contained, and that "No hazardous fumes were detected" as a result of the fire.
Connolly said the department's work to monitor the river and to determine what materials were in the building at the time of the fire will continue.
