Crews contain blaze in about 45 minutes; no injuries reported
Firefighters from across the North Penn region responded to a commercial building fire early Thursday morning at Clemens Uniform Rental in Lansdale Borough.
The fire was reported just after midnight at the company’s facility on West Fifth Street, where a caller initially reported an unknown condition — possibly smoke or steam — along with activated sprinklers, according to emergency dispatch reports. The incident was quickly upgraded to a working structure fire as crews arrived on scene.
First responders reported fire conditions in the middle of the building, with flames also noted near a loading dock area on the north side. Command was established shortly after arrival, and additional crews were assigned to stretch lines and contain the fire.
Multiple fire companies assisted at the scene, including Fairmount Fire Co. of Lansdale, Fire Department of Montgomery Township, Colmar Fire Co., Towamencin Fire Co., Worcester Fire Dept., Hatfield Fire Co., Upper Gwynedd Fire Co. and North Penn Volunteer Fire Co. VMSC Emergency Medical Services also responded.
Officials said the fire was brought under control in about 45 minutes and was contained to the interior of the building. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Clemens Uniform Rental has operated in Lansdale since the 1980s, with its West Fifth Street facility in use since 1988.
The incident marks the second major fire at the location in recent memory. In June 2016, a two-alarm blaze burned for several hours at the same property, with crews battling heavy fire conditions through the night before bringing it under control early the following morning. No injuries were reported in that incident. At that time, problems with the water supply affected early efforts to extinguish the blaze, according to a report from Action News.
It was not immediately clear Thursday morning what impact the latest fire may have on the company’s operations or its customers.
