Unified Command Responds to Salvage Yard Fire and Oil Spill in York, Pa.

YORK, PA (March 2, 2026) – Local, state, and federal emergency response personnel have formed a Unified Command in response to a building fire and associated oil spill that occurred at J&K Salvage in York, Pa., on February 25, 2026.

Just before 2 pm on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, emergency responders were dispatched to a commercial fire in the Spring Garden Township on the property of the salvage yard located at 1099 Kings Mill Road. Responders extinguished the fire at approximately 4 pm. The fire melted several dozen containers holding approximately 10,000 gallons of various oils, which seeped into the soil and a nearby unnamed tributary that leads to the Codorus Creek, creating the potential for migration beyond the immediate site.

The response is being coordinated under a Unified Command comprised of:

  • (EPA) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • (PADEP) Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
  • York County Hazardous Materials Team
  • York Area Fire/York Regional Emergency Management
  • Spring Garden Township

Supporting partners to the Unified Command include:

  • S. Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team
  • Pennslvania Emergency Management Agency
  • South Central PA Taskforce, a joint taskforce representing nine area counties
  • Eastern York Emergency Management Agency

The Unified Command ensures that federal, state and local agencies are coordinating closely to protect public health and the environment. A Joint Information Center (JIC) has been established to coordinate clear and consistent updates for the public and the news media from the Unified Command.

Unified Command Activities to Date        

Since February 25, responders have:

  • Set up containment booms along Codorus Creek and constructed underflow dams in the unnamed tributary to mitigate any further discharge of oil.
  • Contained seven drums of lithium-ion batteries damaged in the fire.
  • Established air monitoring stations along the site perimeter.
  • Collected water samples from downstream water intakes in the Susquehanna River in Wrightsville and Columbia, Pa.

Crews deployed today (Monday, March 2, 2026) are monitoring air quality, positioning additional booms, and assessing oil pools along the Codorus and the Susquehanna River. Unified Command will continue to provide updates on ongoing cleanup and assessment activities to the public.

Residents or local media who have questions about the response activities should contact the Unified Command JIC at YorkSYF.pio@gmail.com.