Joint Statement from North Star and HRP Regarding Incident

Representatives from NorthStar Contracting Group, Inc., the company responsible for the demolition of the former PES Site in Philadelphia made the following statement:
‍“Earlier today during routine preparation of a pipe rack as part of our ongoing demolition, the redirection of a 480V power line resulted in a small electrical fire emerging from a 2-foot by 3-foot electrical box which ignited the dead weeds in and around the area of the electrical box along with two wooden utility poles and a wooden access platform. Despite the small size of the fire itself, its location on site caused smoke to be visible by motorists crossing the Platt Bridge. Nobody was injured and smoke dissipated within roughly 41 minutes. Initial field findings indicate that a wire was pinched in between a door and the box likely causing a spark. The fire burned for roughly 36 minutes before NorthStar’s on-scene command extinguished the fire. There will be a further investigation of the incident conducted by NorthStar, but all local residents should rest assured that the incident has been contained and that there is no danger to the community. These demolition activities are occurring on a regular basis, and, to date, we have demolished approximately 35 percent of the site.”

An HRP spokesperson stated:
“We have been in constant communication with NorthStar, as well as Fire Commissioner Thiel and other City Officials regarding this incident. HRP’s top priority is to protect human health and the environment, and we are pleased that all protocols worked precisely as planned, including notifying local residents of the incident. We remain committed to keeping local residents informed about upcoming work at the site, just as we do on every project.”