Hagerstown, MD
News
Train Derailment In Hagerstown Under Investigation 24 Hours Later Train Derailment In Hagerstown Under Investigation 24 Hours Later
Train Derailment In Hagerstown Under Investigation 24 Hours Later First responders in Washington County had their hands full on Sunday following a multi-car train derailment that remains under investigation a day later.  According to fire officials, at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25, crews from the Hagerstown Fire Department were called to the 300 block of South Burhans Boulevard, where there was a reported derailment. In total, nine cars wound up off the tracks. From Hagerstown Fire Department: “At 3:30pm, units from HFD were alerted to the area of the 300 block of South Burhans... Posted by Hagerstown Police Department on Sund…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Cortlandt, NY
Police & Fire
Lithium Ion Batteries Cause 2 Fires At Cortlandt, Somers Residences Lithium Ion Batteries Cause 2 Fires At Cortlandt, Somers Residences
Lithium Ion Batteries Cause 2 Fires At Cortlandt, Somers Residences Firefighters rushed to two Northern Westchester homes after devices containing lithium-ion batteries went up in flames.  One of the incidents happened at a Somers residence on Wednesday, Aug. 21, when the battery inside a child-sized all-terrain vehicle went into thermal runway at around 1:30 a.m., spewing smoke, sparks, toxic gas, and debris, according to the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services.  The family was soon awakened by smoke detectors, DES officials said, adding that hazmat team members arrived to safely dispose of the battery.  The second fire…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Port Chester, NY
Police & Fire
Lithium Ion Battery Causes Garbage Truck Blaze In Port Chester Lithium Ion Battery Causes Garbage Truck Blaze In Port Chester
Lithium Ion Battery Causes Garbage Truck Blaze In Port Chester A garbage truck in Westchester was damaged after a lithium-ion battery sparked a fire inside, setting its load of trash ablaze.  The incident happened on Wednesday, Aug. 21 just after 8 a.m., when a garbage truck was reported to be on fire on Gilbert Place in Port Chester, according to the village's fire department.  Arriving crews found that Public Works employees had already dumped the burning trash load in the street before it caught the rest of the truck on fire. Firefighters then stretched a hose to extinguish the flames in both the garbage pile and the truck, soon putting th…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Ashburn, VA
News
Failed Valve To Blame For Ammonia Leak That Sickened 33 Employees In Loudoun County Failed Valve To Blame For Ammonia Leak That Sickened 33 Employees In Loudoun County
Failed Valve To Blame For Ammonia Leak That Sickened 33 Employees In Loudoun County Investigators have determined what caused an ammonia leak that led to the evacuation of a Loudoun County industrial building and left dozens feeling sick. Shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday night, the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center was contacted about a reported gas leak in the 22400 block of Sous Vide Lane in Sterling, which in fact turned out to be an ammonia leak.  Fire and Rescue crews from Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Prince William County, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority all responded, and found that several employees had been exposed, some…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Somers, NY
Police & Fire
Scooter's Lithium-Ion Battery Prompts Hazmat Response At Somers Home Scooter's Lithium-Ion Battery Prompts Hazmat Response At Somers Home
Scooter's Lithium-Ion Battery Prompts Hazmat Response At Somers Home A set of lithium-ion batteries inside an electric scooter sparked a flash fire that broke windows and blew garage doors off their tracks at a Northern Westchester home. The blaze happened on Monday, July 8 just before 9 p.m. at a residence in Somers on Weeks Court, the Somers Volunteer Fire Department announced on Thursday, July 11.  According to the fire department, arriving crews found a scooter on fire in the home's garage and took it outside. They then evacuated the residence and began to cool down the scooter's lithium-ion batteries.  Firefighters soon went back inside and f…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Bethlehem, PA
News
Norfolk Southern Train Derails In Bethlehem Norfolk Southern Train Derails In Bethlehem
Norfolk Southern Train Derails In Bethlehem Bethlehem city officials responded to a train derailment under the Hill to Hill Bridge on Friday afternoon, July 5, authorities said in a release.  Four to five cars from the 125-car train derailed around 2:40 p.m., said the Fire Department in a release. "Two to three" of the cars derailed on the bridge over the Lehigh River and two others derailed on the tracks at the end of the bridge.  All of the affected cars were empty and the river was not "involved or affected," officials said.  Two of the cars on the train were carrying hazardous materials, but they were "remote" fro…

SHARE

by Mac Bullock
Somers, NY
Police & Fire
Smoking Lithium Ion Battery Prompts Hazmat Response At Somers Residence Smoking Lithium Ion Battery Prompts Hazmat Response At Somers Residence
Smoking Lithium Ion Battery Prompts Hazmat Response At Somers Residence Emergency crews raced to a Northern Westchester residence after a smoking lithium-ion battery was found inside.  The incident happened on Thursday, May 23 around 6:30 p.m., when a smoking lithium-ion battery was found at a Somers home on Loomis Drive. According to the Somers Volunteer Fire Department, crews responded within minutes and called the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services Hazardous Materials Team to help deal with the battery.  Once the hazmat team arrived, they suited up and were able to successfully dispose of the battery, fire officials said.&nbs…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
Northern Valley, NJ
Police & Fire
Chemical Extinguisher Helps At Northvale Machine Shop Fire Chemical Extinguisher Helps At Northvale Machine Shop Fire
Chemical Extinguisher Helps At Northvale Machine Shop Fire Firefighters used a high-volume dry chemical extinguisher to help with a machine shop blaze in Northvale. The Livingston Street fire ignited shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday, May 16. The Paramus Fire Department’s Foam Unit provided a significant assist extinguishing flames on aluminum shavings that were placed in metal barrels and brought outside. Crews remained at the scene until about 7:30 p.m. Firefighters who went into the building were sent to a decon station due to burning metals and materials. Other mutual aid companies at the scene and in coverage included firefighters from Closter…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
Towson, MD
News
Dive Operations, Vehicle Recovery Paused At Key Bridge Due To Hazardous Conditions: Officials Dive Operations, Vehicle Recovery Paused At Key Bridge Due To Hazardous Conditions: Officials
Dive Operations, Vehicle Recovery Paused At Key Bridge Due To Hazardous Conditions: Officials Crews continue to work around the clock to contain possibly hazardous materials that were spilled during the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. The US Coast Guard issued an update on Thursday afternoon after dive operations and vehicle recovery efforts were temporarily paused due to the hazardous conditions caused by the wreckage and debris. NTSBgov According to the Baltimore County Police Department, the agency remains on the water to help secure the area around the collapse site, where there were 56 containers of hazardous materials onboard the Dali. Officials said that those container…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Bethlehem, PA
News
NTSB Reveals New Findings In Lower Saucon Train Derailment NTSB Reveals New Findings In Lower Saucon Train Derailment
NTSB Reveals New Findings In Lower Saucon Train Derailment Seven crewmembers were treated for minor injuries when three trains derailed after a collision in Lower Saucon early this month, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a new report.  The collision happened on tracks parallel to Riverside Drive around 7:15 a.m. on March 2, officials have said. All three were Norfolk Southern trains.  Investigators now say NS intermodal train 24XH101 was stopped on the tracks due to traffic when it was struck by train 268H429. Both trains were eastbound.  As a result, train 268H429 derailed three railcars onto the adjacent …

SHARE

by Mac Bullock
Ridgefield Park-Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Police & Fire
UPDATE: Arson Investigators Probe Multi-Truck Fire In Ridgefield UPDATE: Arson Investigators Probe Multi-Truck Fire In Ridgefield
Update: Arson Investigators Probe Multi-Truck Fire In Ridgefield 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Investigators were probing the cause of a multi-truck fire in Ridgefield that sent up a column of black smoke visible for miles. No injuries were reported in the three-alarm blaze, which ignited behind the Hanjin warehouse on Railroad Avenue near Pleasantview Avenue shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday, March 3. At least four box trucks and rigs were destroyed or severely damaged. Mutual aid responders either at the scene or in coverage included firefighters from Cliffside Park, Fairview, Leonia, Palisades Park and Ridgefield Park. The County Wide Emergency Response Team also responded. …

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
West Milford, NJ
Police & Fire
Frozen Hydrants Challenge Firefighters In Wanaque Basement Blaze Ignited By Lithium Battery Frozen Hydrants Challenge Firefighters In Wanaque Basement Blaze Ignited By Lithium Battery
Frozen Hydrants Challenge Firefighters In Wanaque Basement Blaze Ignited By Lithium Battery A Wanaque homeowner required EMS attention for smoke inhalation after a lithium battery ignited a fierce basement fire, authorities said. The basement on Ramapo Mountain Drive was fully involved when firefighters arrived shortly before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14, they said. Frozen hydrants left the first two engines just about tapped, with the blaze extending to the first floor, when mutual aid came through, responders said. That included firefighters from Pompton Lakes, Ringwood and Bloomingdale. A Passaic County hazardous materials unit also was requested.

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco