An 11-alarm fire at the Dietz and Watson warehouse in Delanco has finally been contained.

 

Dietz and Watson warehouse fire on Monday
Dietz and Watson warehouse fire on Monday (Twitter)
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Aerial view of fire at Dietz and Watson warehouse in Delanco
Aerial view of fire at Dietz and Watson warehouse in Delanco (@PhillyFireNews via Twitter)
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Fire officials tell WPVI TV the fire will likely smoulder for several days.

It took 200 Firefighters from 44-different companies to fight the fire which broke out around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

Two firefighters sustained injuries according toWTXF TV.

Using aerial hoses and a helicopter firefighters worked through torrential rains to douse the flames which have collapsed much of the roof and one wall according to the Burlington County Times.

“There’s a pile in the center that we’re having problems getting to. We don’t know if it’s construction material or refrigeration underneath. It’s in the warehouse part," Fire Chief Ron Holt told the newspaper.

KYW TV reports crews are now ripping down the walls in order to get to the last of the fire.

Meanwhile, the warehouse's 130 employees will report to other facilities in the area according to WTXF TV..

NJ American Water on its Twitter feed reports they have opened a well for firefighters and are workking on getting another opened.

Some residents on both sides of the Delaware River report ash falling out of the sky but no damage has resulted according to WPVI TV.

There were two explosions and at least one confirmed wall collapse report WCAU.

Tankers from Ocean County were brought into fight the fire at the 300,000-square foot facility. It presented a number  of challenges including a roof with 7,000 solar panels, possible electrocution and bringing water to the scene reports WCAU. A hose was run a mile to from the Rancocas Creek to bring water to the scene.

“It’s just an intense fire,” Delanco Fire Chief Ron Holt told WCAU. “It’s going to take some time and we don’t know what it’s going to do. The problem we have with this fire is the whole roof has solar panels on it, so we can't get on the roof to fight it.”

Exterior wall of Dietz and Watson warehouse in Delanco during fire
Exterior wall of Dietz and Watson warehouse in Delanco during fire (@PhillyFireNews via Twitter)
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The Burlington County Hazardous Materials team conducted tests of the air and concluded there was no danger. However, as a precaution, residents of nearby Beverly and Edgewater Park were warned to stay indoors and close their windows.

The Delanco Riverside Bridge was closed and NJ Transit's River Line was closed for a time. Area residents were asked to curtail their water use.

Dietz and Watson issued a statement on their website about the fire thanking emergency services for their efforts and their appreciation of the fact that there were no injuries. The company stressed it is business as usual for the lunch meat company. "Other distribution centers, as well as all production facilities, were unaffected by this event, " said the message. Anyone with questions can call (215)-831-9000.

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