By David Matthews
New York Daily News
YONKERS, N.Y. — A chemical spill Tuesday triggered a three-alarm blaze and hazmat response — bringing more than 40 firefighters to a warehouse in Yonkers.
Officials say the fire broke out at the supply business, European Beauty Concepts, around noon and sent out toxic smoke.
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A chemical reaction occurred after hair and nail treatment products and bleach were spilled inside precipitated the blaze, fire commissioner William Fitzpatrick said at a news conference.
“We believe that there was a forklift involved that damaged one of the containers and caused it to spill, and then created a chemical reaction,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s a warehouse, with a lot of tightly-packed material on pallets stacked very high.”
He said the initial investigation indicated “human error” was at fault.
Several people in other buildings were evacuated out of an abundance in caution. Fitzpatrick said the wind blew the smoke away from other structures.
The air quality forced the MTA to suspend Hudson Line service between Yonkers Metro-North station — about quarter mile south from the fire — and Glenwood station — a half-mile to the north — in the afternoon. Service resumed with delays by 5:45, but some trains scheduled to depart Grand Central were canceled.
Amtrak Northeast Empire service remains temporarily suspended.
Firefighters battling a two-alarm blaze around 3:30 a.m. Thursday kept heavy smoke and flames confined to the rear addition of the Happy Garden restaurant on North Seventh Street, as residents in the apartments above escaped safely
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