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As authorities work to investigate the cause of the two fires at Reading's Lincoln Chemical building, safety concerns regarding the building's structure are the main priority, Mayor Eddie Moran said in a press conference on Friday, Nov. 9.
The former home of Lincoln Chemical, 600 S. 9th St., caught fire on the third floor on Oct. 31 and then again on Nov. 2, Daily Voice reported. Both blazes remain under investigation.
As a result of the fires, there are now "some concerns with the structure of the building," said Mayor Moran on Friday afternoon.
Fire Marshal Jeremy Searfoss said Reading Fire Department continues to conduct daily inspections on the building's structural safety, both inside and from the outside using aerial drones.
The roads near Lincoln Chemical remain shut down to through traffic due to their concerns about the building's integrity, authorities said.
In addition to RFD, the Environmental Protection Agency is on-site assessing and managing chemical materials for safe disposal, said Federal On-Scene Coordinator Laura Casillas.
The EPA was called in to "evaluate" when authorities found "some materials in containers (...) left behind" by the prior owner, said Mayor Moran. Lincoln Chemical's owner has since retired, and no production was taking place in the building at the time of the blazes, Fire Marshal Searfoss added.
EPA workers are coordinating with the Fire Department daily during their assessment efforts, according to the agency's spokesperson.
"At this time, there has been no contamination to the quality of air or any concerns to the neighborhood at all," Mayor Moran said.
"The closures of the streets have been mostly because of the operation that is ongoing and the structure of the building itself."
The investigations into the fires are being assisted by Reading police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, officials added.
Update: Mayor Eddie Moran's Office has since issued a statement on the EPA's assessment efforts.
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