Hazmat Incident Has Burnside Avenue on Lockdown
The sleepy West Norriton neighborhood is cordoned off as police, fire and hazmat crews investigate a report of unidentified, but possibly dangerous chemicals in a suburban home.
Police and fire units responded to a call for a "Hazardous Materials Incident" shortly before 5 p.m. today and are still on the scene with Hazmat crews and other emergency personnel. Officials expect to be working on the scene into the early morning hours. The original call came from a West Norriton License & Inspection official who arrived at the home at 134 Burnside Ave. sometime after 4 p.m. to deliver a sewage bill. The L&I officer reportedly smelled a strong chemical odor coming from the rear of the house and called West Norristown police to investigate. Once on the scene, police located a number of unlabeled containers behind the house that appeared to contain chemicals. Police alerted the West Norriton Fire Department and Hazmat …
