Forklift crash inside Yonkers warehouse caused chemical reaction, fire, officials say
A fire caused a hazardous materials response in Yonkers on Tuesday afternoon.
Fire officials said it appears to have been caused by human error -- a forklift crashing inside a warehouse, causing a chemical reaction that sparked a fire.
2 civilians, several firefighters injured in Yonkers warehouse fire
Firefighters continued to douse the smoldering fire Tuesday afternoon at European Beauty Concepts, a warehouse on Woodworth Avenue.
Authorities say at around noon, a forklift punctured a vat of chemicals stacked inside, creating a chemical reaction.
"There was some beauty chemicals, household beauty chemicals, and we believe that there was a forklift involved that damaged one of the containers which caused it to spill and then created a chemical reaction," Yonkers Fire Commissioner William Fitzpatrick said.
Large plumes of white smoke could be seen billowing from the roof and drifting over nearby homes and businesses.
Within an hour, the reaction started a fire, prompting officials to evacuate about 12 nearby residents and advise the neighborhood to stay indoors.
"About an hour into the incident, the chemical reaction intensified, and created an exothermic reaction, which initiated a fire inside of the building, which quickly turned into a three-alarm structure fire," Fitzpatrick said.
Video from the scene showed plumes of smoke emerging from the building. The fire has since been knocked down.
Two civilians and a handful of firefighters were being treated for minor injuries.
Woodworth and Ravine avenues were shut between Union Place and Ashburton Avenue. Some road closures in the area continued into Tuesday night as fire officials remain on the scene to continue their investigation and make sure the fire does not reignite.
Neighbors in the area are encouraged to keep their windows closed to avoid exposure to lingering smoke.
Metro-North service was partially suspended along the Hudson Line due to visibility issues, but has since resumed. Officials said they were going through the train cars to test air quality before reopening.