Rotted utility pole blamed for Chester fire leaving businesses left without power
The fire broke out shortly before 2 a.m. at the Mobil station at Route 94 and Brookside Avenue.
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A rotted utility pole that fell onto a gas station sparked an early-morning fire Tuesday in the Village of Chester, according to police.
Video from the scene shows extensive damage to the Chestnut Market convenience store at the Mobil gas station on Brookside Avenue, also known as Route 94. Orange & Rockland crews could also be seen working at the site Tuesday morning making repairs.
Chester Police Chief Timothy McGuire says Orange & Rockland reported that the pole had rotted at the bottom and fell onto the store. Transformers attached to the pole then sparked the structure fire.
Police driving by around 2 a.m. initially spotted smoke. When firefighters arrived, they found flames spreading to the building, with propane tanks nearby.
Firefighters had the fire under control in less than an hour. No injuries were reported.
The incident also knocked out power to several neighboring businesses.
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites next door was still without power as of late Tuesday morning. Management told News 12 business was slow but would not say how many guests were affected or comment further.
At the neighboring car wash and quick lube, General Manager Josh Piatt said the outage essentially brought business to a standstill.
"Completely without power. Can't wash cars, can't do oil changes, can't do anything, so we are completely lost here," Piatt said.
Piatt said the business typically has about 20 to 25 employees working but was down to roughly five Tuesday morning because of the outage. He said he hopes the utility company will cover the losses and, if not, that the business's insurance will.
The gas station and convenience store remained closed Tuesday. Management on site declined to comment about the damage or when the business could reopen.
News 12 has reached out to Orange & Rockland for more information.
