Storm-triggered fire destroys CVS, neighboring business in Pawling
No injuries were reported as crews cleared debris and thousands were without power following severe overnight storms.
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A powerful storm that swept through the Hudson Valley overnight sparked a fire that destroyed a CVS Pharmacy and a neighboring wellness studio in Pawling.
The storm left behind extensive damage and contributing to widespread power outages.
The fire broke out late Saturday night at the East Main Street pharmacy and burned into Sunday morning, destroying the business and the Pawling Yoga and Wellness Studio.
No injuries were reported.
Witnesses said severe weather appeared to play a role in the blaze.
"The wind knocked down a tree into the lines, knocked down the pole and the transformer kind of just banging around the building, sparking [in] the street," one resident said. "...The sparks eventually caught the building. At first I could only see the signage for the yoga place on the right sided of the building going, but by then, there was probably already fire inside the roof and the building was never in a giant blaze, but it was going non-stop all night."
Residents gathered along East Main Street on Sunday to assess the damage and expressed shock at the destruction left behind.
"It's just awful. I can't believe the devastation," said Pawling resident Chris Mersand. "It just doesn't look like anything I've ever seen in the village."
The fire was one of several impacts from the storm, which caused widespread power outages across the region. According to PowerOutage.com, more than 32,000 customers were without electricity in the hours after the storm struck.
Residents Alyssa Plastini and Ryan Oakley were among the impacted, who said they have been without power since Saturday evening.
"We've been out of power since around 7:45 [p.m.] last night. We tried to travel home last night actually and it's been crazy," Plastini said. "But we're just kind of charging up our stuff. We have family in the area, which is really nice."
Oakley said the outage could force them to discard food stored in their refrigerator.
"We definitely have food in the refrigerator we're probably just going to have to throw out," he said. "I feel like there's a 24-hour rule."
Utility crews and contractors continued working Sunday to clear debris from the remains of the former CVS building.
Officials said cleanup efforts could take several days.
There was no official word Sunday on when full power would be restored.
The impacts of the storm remained visible throughout Pawling, where downed trees, damaged utility infrastructure and debris lined streets across the village.
