Investigation into Yonkers chemical spill, warehouse fire continues Wednesday morning
The city's fire department was joined by more than 80 firefighters from 17 different companies to get the situation under control.
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A strong chemical odor filled the air in the area of Woodworth Avenue Wednesday morning as crews continued to investigate a chemical spill inside a warehouse that led to a massive fire.
It happened just after 12 p.m. on Tuesday inside a warehouse at 143Woodworth Ave. The Yonkers Police Department said the fire began as a chemical reaction from hair supplies that had spilled inside.
"It's an oxidizer. What an oxidizer does, it kind of sustains its own fire," says Deputy Chief of Operations Ray Mahoskey, who is with the Yonkers Fire Department.
The city's fire department was joined by more than 80 firefighters from 17 different companies to get the situation under control. Officials say six firefighters sustained minor injuries, but no one was seriously hurt.
While firefighters battled the flames, several neighbors were told to stay indoors. Others were evacuated as a precaution.
"We thought everything was going to burn down for a minute. It's scary, you just don't know what is happening," says Yonkers resident Efrain Aponte.
During that time, Metro-North's Hudson line was briefly suspended between the Yonkers and Greystone stations. Emergency crews monitored air quality around the area and on train platforms throughout Tuesday evening. They tell News 12 the wind was moving in the right direction, pushing the smoke toward the river.
"I think this is one of the most challenging ones I've dealt with in 28 years. I think we succeeded," says Mahoskey.
