A potentially catastrophic fire was extinguished at a site of fuel tank owned by Love-Effron located on the bank of the Hudson River, but not before dozens of emergency responders were on the scene Wednesday morning and afternoon. No injuries were reported.
Under mutual aid, the system of cooperative emergency response efforts in the region, personnel came from around the region: Dutchess County and Stewart airport fire crews and trucks arrived carrying foam to put out the blaze. Metropolitan Transit Authority police, IBM emergency control division, the Coast Guard, Arlington, Poughkeepsie, Fairview and several other neighboring town fire and police responders arrived on the scene. As the potential for leakage of fuel oil posed a threat to the Hudson River, Environmental Protection Agency officials also visited the site, but no leakage was reported at press time.
The fire, which began shortly before a 911 call placed at 11:20 a.m., was put out by 1:40 p.m. Welding work at the site was the suspected cause.
The tank holds 4 million gallons of fuel oil used to heat homes and is located off Prospect Street in the City of Poughkeepsie.
By noon, the top of the tank was buckling, apparently from heat. Onlookers said smoke, but not flames, had been visible earlier from a hilltop off Fox Street overlooking the top of the giant tank.
Metro North train service was halted from Beacon to Poughkeepsie because the tracks run near the site.
Traffic was also blocked at the Prospect Street exits from Route 9 and at Fox Street and a building of doctors’ offices at the foot of Fox Street was evacuated.
By 4 p.m., the majority of emergency responders had left the scene and a Love- Effron truck was permitted onto the premises.