All lanes open on Gov. Mario Cuomo Bridge following Hudson Link bus fire
State troopers say the fire was on the southbound lane at mile post marker 15.3. on the Rockland County side of the span.
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All lanes on the Gov. Mario Cuomo Bridge reopened to traffic after a Hudson Link bus caught fire Friday afternoon near the Rockland County side of the span, according to New York State Police.
State troopers say the fire was on the southbound lane at milepost marker 15.3.
The fire forced the closures of the right and center lanes on Interstate 87 NYS Thruway southbound before Exit 10 in South Nyack (U.S. 9W).
No other vehicles were involved, and all passengers were able to exit the bus before the fire started.
No injuries were reported.
Video courtesy of Karen Cookson.
Video courtesy of Benny Arroyo.
The New York State Department of Transportation says the driver and four passengers were aboard the bus when the fire occurred.
Tarrytown Fire Department says its crews and crews from the Central Nyack Fire Department were called to the scene at 1:39 p.m.
Tarrytown Fire Department Chief Patrick Derivan requested backup due to limited water access on the bridge's upper deck. As a result, 13 marine units from Piermont, a fire boat from the Tarrytown Fire Department and a tanker from Pocantico Hills helped fight the fire.
Derivan says crews were able to contain the fire within 40 minutes. He added that the fire appeared to be of a mechanical nature.
He says the driver heard a noise from the back of the bus before he pulled over right to the side of the road. The driver got all passengers safely out of the bus and got a fire extinguisher, but the fire itself was too heavy for him to bring under control.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says it sent its Spill Response team after the bus fire on the bridge resulted in a small amount of diesel fuel spilling into the Hudson River.
The department says responders were actively containing the fuel with absorbent booms. It adds that the environmental impact is anticipated to be minimal.
DEC says it will continue to monitor the situation and take actions necessary to ensure the protection of public health and the environment.
News 12 Reporter Ben Nandy on-the-scene report of traffic on the Gov. Mario Cuomo Bridge after the bus fire
