Fire Commissioner Joseph J. Cliffe said yesterday evening that the building would remain closed until "some general housekeeping and building code issues can be resolved." A more thorough assessment will be made today, he said.

A dozen firefighters wearing special protective gear extinguished the blaze at Norquay Technology Inc. about 30 minutes after it was reported at 12:15 p.m. The firefighters were decontaminated at the scene, then examined at local hospitals.

The extra precautions were taken because the site of the fire is about four blocks from the old Wade chemical dump, which erupted in flames in 1978, Cliffe said. The aftermath of that blaze, including a high incidence of cancer and other diseases among the 200 emergency workers who fought the fire, is being chronicled this week in The Inquirer.

"In 1978, we didn't know a lot of what we know today," Cliffe said.

About 15 staff and production people were inside Norquay when the fire began, said the company's president, Robert Heldt.

Heldt said he tried to put it out, but suffered smoke inhalation and had to leave. He was examined at a hospital. The other workers left without incident.

Heldt said the fire started when six 8-gallon glass containers holding chemicals were being distilled in the company laboratory. During the process, which included pressurization, vapors from one of the containers escaped and ignited, Heldt said. Fire officials yesterday were unsure how that occurred.

The containers held two chemicals: toluene, a flammable petroleum derivative, and 1-octyn-3-ol, used in the manufacture of flavors and fragrances.

Emergency response and hazardous materials teams were sent to the site. They determined there was no need to evacuate the area after they discovered that the chemicals had been contained in the building.

Irshad Shaikh, director of Chester's Health Department, said yesterday that he found poor drainage and storage of chemicals in the area where the fire occurred. "It could have been much worse," he said. " . . . It's clear that they're not following proper procedures."

In response, Heldt said the company "will continue to make improvements on the building. Our goal is to be a responsible citizen and to act in a responsible way."

John Gerdelmann, spokesman for the state Department of Environment Protection, which had personnel at the site yesterday, said the department saw no need for a follow-up. He said he knew of no problems in the past that brought Norquay to the attention of the DEP.

Zulene Mayfield, chairwoman of Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living, a citizens' environmental group, complained that chemical spills in Chester are not uncommon.

"We're in the business of getting this stopped," she said at the scene yesterday, snapping photographs. "We want to document it.

"We are threatened if no one goes in and does an investigation and ensures to our satisfaction that this company is conducting business in a safe manner."

Norquay, with a workforce of about 30, manufactures special chemicals used in such varied items as perfumes, cosmetics, plastic bags and AIDS medications. It was founded in 1987 by Heldt and a partner. It recently purchased the building, which it had rented.

Second-shift workers were kept off the job yesterday as the cleanup continued.