3-alarm warehouse fire disrupts trains in Southwest Philadelphia

A three-alarm blaze broke out in Southwest Philadelphia late Thursday morning, taking about three hours to get under control and causing major disruptions to transportation in the area.

Crews responded to the building fire on Island and Paschall Avenues shortly before 10 a.m., a spokesperson with the Philadelphia Fire Department said. The fire at the warehouse quickly grew to three alarms, and fire officials encouraged people to avoid the location, as heavy smoke filled the area.

The blaze was placed under control shortly before 1 p.m.

Transportation was impacted by the fire. Rail traffic south of Philadelphia International Airport was temporarily put on hold due to smoke, according to Amtrak. Some trains were cleared to resume moving shortly after noon.

Service on SEPTA's Newark/Wilmington Regional Rail line was also briefly suspended. Trains are running again, but some residual delays are expected.

Delays on SEPTA's Route 11 trolley are also expected. Shuttle buses are operating in both directions between 58th Street and Woodland Avenues and the Darby Loop, SEPTA spokesman John Golden said.

The PennDOT Driver License Center at 2320 Island Avenue was closed due to the fire.

Nearby, the Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School said it would dismiss students early Thursday due to low water pressure. The building is not expected to be otherwise impacted by the fire, the school said in a Facebook post.

It wasn't clear if any injuries were reported.