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By Joe Brandt, ,
/ CBS Philadelphia
A fire at a business in Gloucester County, New Jersey, forced the evacuation of two elementary schools Thursday morning as crews battled the blaze. A county hazmat team remains on scene as testing continues on the area’s air quality.
Officials say test results show no elevated levels of hazardous substances in the air. The earlier evacuation order has since been lifted. Two schools and 180 homes were a part of the evacuation order.
A large plume of black smoke was visible coming from a business on Route 40, also known as Harding Highway, near Blue Bell Road in Franklin Township. Firefighters have the blaze under control but are still working to eliminate any emerging hotspots.
The Franklin Township police chief said the fire started around 9 a.m. in a commercial building owned by North East Pool Distributors, where hazardous materials are used in the manufacturing process.
The business is down the road from Main Road Elementary School. The Franklin Township School District said that just in case winds shifted and blew the smoke away, Main Road students were moved to Caroline Reutter Elementary School, about a 10-minute drive away. Our Lady of Mercy Academy was also evacuated.
A nearby farmer says she couldn’t return to her property earlier because of the fire.
“The sheep need water. And with the weather being the way it is, the water that they have is pretty much frozen until I put in fresh for the day,” Julie Bishop said. “I hope the wind doesn’t shift because right now, it’s blowing all of the smoke away from my farm. As long as it stays like that, I think I’ll be OK.”
No one was injured in the fire, and its cause remains under investigation.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is on scene. Officials say air monitoring is also underway in the area.
The business has a Newfield mailing address despite being within the township’s boundaries.
CBS News Philadelphia reached out to North East Pool Distributors for comment, we have not heard back.
Joe Brandt has been a digital content producer for CBS News Philadelphia since 2022. He is a Temple University graduate and was born and raised in Pitman, NJ.
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©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
