Crews respond to chemical-based 3-alarm fire at Yonkers warehouse
Executive Assistant Fire Chief PJ Goldfeder said the fire was sparked by a reaction from stored chemicals and is a “full hazmat assignment.”
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Emergency crews in Yonkers responded Saturday morning to a chemical-based three-alarm fire at a Yonkers warehouse.
It’s the second time this month that crews responded to a fire and hazmat situation at 143 Woodworth Ave. – a household beauty products warehouse.
Executive Assistant Fire Chief PJ Goldfeder said the fire was sparked by a reaction from stored chemicals and is a “full hazmat assignment.”
According to Goldfeder, the first calls came in around 3 a.m. He said crews on scene witnessed smoke but no flames – and later realized it was from a chemical reaction coming from inside the warehouse.
"At approximately 7 a.m., there was an exothermic reaction causing the fire behind us," he told News 12.
He said an initial investigation found that the fire appears to have started the same way the other fire started earlier this month.
The air was still being monitored for safety on Saturday afternoon.
"It's basic fire smoke. We are not alarmed by the chemicals. If we do start to get readings that the chemicals are affecting the smoke or traveling, we will evacuate the area," he said.
He told News 12 that more than 10 firefighters sustained minor injuries. There were no civilian injuries reported.
Pictures from the scene showed large plumes of smoke above the neighborhood, which is close to a train station. Yonkers Fire Department officials said some companies were released Saturday afternoon. Emergency crews were still at the scene Saturday night.
Goldfeder said officials with the MTA were monitoring the situation as well, as the fire occurred near the Metro North's Hudson Line.
The Yonkers Fire Department said that the fire was under control after 5 p.m. Police and fire crews were still on the scene as of Saturday night.
Fire officials say people in the area do not need to keep their windows closed, as the are no more contaminants present in the air.
From Sept. 2:
