Tag:

Hazardous Materials

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. …
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.
Firefighters Douse Overnight Freight Train Blaze In Maywood Firefighters Douse Overnight Freight Train Blaze In Maywood
Firefighters Douse Overnight Freight Train Blaze In Maywood A rolling dumpster fire of sorts was doused overnight in Maywood after a blaze ignited in a railroad car carrying construction debris and trash. Maywood Avenue was closed from Central to East Hunter Avenue after the train came to a stop, blocking the crossing, just after midnight Friday, March 17. Concern was initially expressed over a car purportedly carrying hazardous materials five or so car-lengths away, but firefighters contained the blaze. The train apparently passed through Elmwood Park and Saddle Brook with the flaming car before eventually stopping. It proceeded to the rail yard …
Death Of Woman, 42, With Pets In Saddle Brook Doesn't Appear Suspicious, Authorities Say Death Of Woman, 42, With Pets In Saddle Brook Doesn't Appear Suspicious, Authorities Say
Death Of Woman, 42, With Pets In Saddle Brook Doesn't Appear Suspicious, Authorities Say A 42-year-old woman and some of her pets were found dead amid extreme hoarding conditions in her Saddle Brook home on Monday, responders said. Firefighters had to rip the front door off the East Lanza Court residence to gain entry, witnesses said. What appeared to be the smell of ammonia prompted a call for a hazardous materials unit, they added. A "large number" of pets, several of them dead and some barely alive, were found, along with numerous cages, trash, litter and debris, responders said. Police cordoned off the area around the house with crime-scene tape. However, there appears t…
Young Pilot Hospitalized After Helicopter Spun In Air, Crashed At Essex County Airport Young Pilot Hospitalized After Helicopter Spun In Air, Crashed At Essex County Airport
Young Pilot Hospitalized After Helicopter Spun In Air, Crashed At Essex County Airport A 33-year-old pilot was pulled from his helicopter after a crash at the Essex County Airport Saturday, June 4, police said. The pilot was taking off and heading to pick up a private charter when the a 2015 Bell Model 407 began spinning around 100 to 150 feet in the air around noon, Fairfield police said. Then, it hit the ground on the north side of the airport near Runway #28. The pilot, from Marietta, Georgia, was found still in the pilot seat, partially leaning out of the cockpit with head injuries. He was extricated and taken by the West Essex First Aid Squad to an ar…
Port Authority PD Welcomes Newest Members Of Specialized Squadron Port Authority PD Welcomes Newest Members Of Specialized Squadron
Port Authority PD Welcomes Newest Members Of Specialized Squadron A dozen new members were welcomed into the Port Authority Police Emergency Services Unit at a Newark Airport graduation ceremony that followed 30 weeks of rigorous training. The officers now specialize in tactical response, active shooter response, high-angle rescue, motor vehicle accident extrication, hazardous materials and confined space rescue, PAPD Spokesperson Lenis Valens said. They are also proficient in tubular tactical operations involving trains and aircraft, Valens said. Two new officers from the Morris County Sheriff's Office and two from the Jersey City Police Department tr…
Tanker Rolls On Route 4 Ramp To Route 17 Tanker Rolls On Route 4 Ramp To Route 17
Tanker Rolls On Route 4 Ramp To Route 17 A tanker truck rolled Tuesday morning on a ramp from eastbound Route 4 to northbound Route 17 in Paramus. The female driver escaped serious injury and climbed out of the cab shortly before 10:30 a.m. as police and firefighters arrived, Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said. All Points Towing in Hackensack had the rig righted by noon. The LORCO Petroleum Services truck out of Elizabeth was carrying used motor oil, requiring a cleanup. The Paramus hazardous materials unit responded, followed by its Bergen County colleagues. Backups quickly began forming after the ramp was closed. The dri…
Fire Ravages Woodland Park Mulch Plant Fire Ravages Woodland Park Mulch Plant
Fire Ravages Woodland Park Mulch Plant UPDATE: Firefighters doused a blaze Friday night that severely damaged a Woodland Park plant that produces compost and dyed mulches. The fire at Environmental Renewal behind the Route 46 Best Buy broke out in back of the complex shortly before 10:30 p.m.  It was fully involved in minutes, responders said. Explosions were heard inside the Andrews Drive building -- where propane and oxygen tanks were stored -- as well as among transformers outside. ****** PHOTO GALLERY: BT Fire Photos ****** Mutual aid at the Andrews Drive scene or in coverage included firefighters from Bloomingdale, C…
27 Sickened, 4 Hospitalized In Pool Chemical Exposure During NJ Swimming Lessons 27 Sickened, 4 Hospitalized In Pool Chemical Exposure During NJ Swimming Lessons
27 Sickened, 4 Hospitalized In Pool Chemical Exposure During NJ Swimming Lessons Twenty-seven people -- mostly kids -- were sickened by a chemical exposure during swimming lessons at a Parsippany pool, sending four children and one adult to the hospital Friday morning, authorities said. Police were called to the Glacier Hills Association Pool where the individuals, primarily children taking swimming lessons, had been exposed to a vapor cloud of chlorine and muriatic acid around 9:20 a.m., Chief Andrew Miller said in a release. The five people hospitalized were taken to Morristown Medical Center with respiratory issues while 18 others of various ages were treat…
Jack-Knifed Tractor-Trailer Jumps Median On Route 80 Jack-Knifed Tractor-Trailer Jumps Median On Route 80
Jack-Knifed Tractor-Trailer Jumps Median On Route 80 A tractor-tractor jackknifed and jumped the median on Route 80 in Paterson overnight Saturday. The mishap left the trailer on on side of the highway and part of the rig on the other part near westbound Exit 58 around midnight. Two lanes were temporarily closed on the eastbound side and one on the westbound. An ambulance took the driver to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center with injuries that weren't considered life-threatening. Firefighters summoned a hazardous materials unit to tend to a fuel spill.
PHOTOS: Car Carrier Splits, Topples Across Route 287, Dump Truck Rolls On Opposite Side PHOTOS: Car Carrier Splits, Topples Across Route 287, Dump Truck Rolls On Opposite Side
Photos: Car Carrier Splits, Topples Across Route 287, Dump Truck Rolls On Opposite Side A car carrier and a dump truck both toppled over on Route 287 in Oakland around noontime Friday, closing several lanes and causing major delays well into the afternoon. Five heavy-duty wreckers were called to clear the roadway after the northbound rig hauling SUVs tipped over the divider. The carrier split in two, with one section landing on its side against the divider, dumping one of the SUVs on the other side of the median.  The other half ended up on its side, as well, in the right lane. A dump truck that tried to avoid the wreck tipped onto a railing in the right lane. A dump tr…
Septic Tank Truck Tips On Route 80 Exit Septic Tank Truck Tips On Route 80 Exit
Septic Tank Truck Tips On Route 80 Exit A driver emerged without serious injury after an empty septic tanker tipped over Friday on a Route 80 exit ramp in Paterson. A hazardous materials unit was summoned for a large fuel spill after the 9:30 a.m. mishap at Exit 60 on the highway's eastbound side. The exit was closed while heavy-duty wreckers from Tumino's Towing righted the rig.
Fire KO'd At Wayne Adhesives Company Fire KO'd At Wayne Adhesives Company
Fire KO'd At Wayne Adhesives Company Firefighters quickly doused a blaze that broke out Friday afternoon at a Wayne adhesive and sealant company. Pallets were reported burning around 2 p.m. at Royal Adhesives & Sealants on Burgless Place off Route 23. Firefighters responding to the two-alarm blaze knocked it down within 15 minutes. Plant managers told responders there were no hazards other than rubber burning. A hazardous materials unit was requested as a precaution. Royal Adhesives & Sealants says it manufacturers “high performance adhesives, sealants, encapsulants and polymer coatings.”
Massive Christmas Morning Fire Destroys Mahwah Building Supply Company Massive Christmas Morning Fire Destroys Mahwah Building Supply Company
Massive Christmas Morning Fire Destroys Mahwah Building Supply Company UPDATE: Authorities reported no casualties in a massive pre-dawn Christmas fire that ripped through a commercial building in Mahwah and continued burning hours after it broke out. What became a five-alarm blaze broke out around 4:40 a.m. at Arzee Building Supply on Franklin Turnpike next to the Ramapo River. Members of all five Mahwah fire companies were assisted by nearly 20 others from surrounding Bergen and Rockland county towns, along with police and EMS units, Police Chief Stephen Jaffe said. Seven elevated streams were in operation in the building, which began to collapse within an …
EXCLUSIVE: Package That Closed GWB Was Phony Pipe Bomb, Investigators Say EXCLUSIVE: Package That Closed GWB Was Phony Pipe Bomb, Investigators Say
Exclusive: Package That Closed GWB Was Phony Pipe Bomb, Investigators Say A suspicious package that closed the George Washington Bridge for more than two hours during Thursday night's rainstorm was actually a phony pipe bomb, Daily Voice has learned. The "inert device" found in the upper level's eastbound lane next to the median on the New Jersey side had a pipe bomb casing -- a symmetrical cylinder with two tied caps at either end -- but not all of the other components necessary to make it explosive, investigators said. Whoever called in the report may have been the person responsible for placing it there, investigators suspect. It was the only call police rece…
No Joke: Soda Bottle 'Bombs' Found At Route 46 Industrial Park In Hasbrouck Heights No Joke: Soda Bottle 'Bombs' Found At Route 46 Industrial Park In Hasbrouck Heights
No Joke: Soda Bottle 'Bombs' Found At Route 46 Industrial Park In Hasbrouck Heights Two improvised devices made with soda bottles and a combustible concoction brought the Bergen County Sheriff's Bomb Squad to an industrial complex just off Route 46 in Hasbrouck Heights Tuesday night, responders said. The building was evacuated before the tactical unit did a controlled detonation of the so-called soda bottle bombs and a hazardous materials unit removed them, they said. The sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification collected evidence. Authorities didn't immediately say what was inside. An investigation into who was responsible was continuing, they said. "Works bombs" hav…
Worker, 19, Cutting Oil Tank Critically Burned In Garfield Flashback Worker, 19, Cutting Oil Tank Critically Burned In Garfield Flashback
Worker, 19, Cutting Oil Tank Critically Burned In Garfield Flashback A 19-year-old worker was critically burned on the lower half of his body after a flashback Tuesday afternoon while he was cutting an oil tank from the ground in Garfield, authorities said. “It appears that as he was cutting the tank with a saw,” Garfield Police Capt. Richard Uram said. “The sparks may have ignited the fuel, causing a flash.” “It does not appear they had a permit to remove the tank at this time,” Uram said. The victim was taken to St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston with burns over nearly 50% of his body, responders said. OSHA and a Bergen County Hazardous Materials…
Machine Running In East Rutherford Chemical Plant Evacuation Sparks Fire, 2 Hospitalized Machine Running In East Rutherford Chemical Plant Evacuation Sparks Fire, 2 Hospitalized
Machine Running In East Rutherford Chemical Plant Evacuation Sparks Fire, 2 Hospitalized A machine left running while an East Rutherford plant was being evacuated for a chemical spill sparked a fire sending two people to the hospital with minor injuries Thursday, authorities said. A vapor cloud and fumes that people in the area said smelled like chlorine were reported at the Diamond Chemical Company around 1:30 p.m. Homes and businesses were evacuated in the area surrounding Diamond Chemical, located at the corner of East Union and Dubois Street. Shelters-in-place advised on the east side of Rutherford from Ridge Road to Meadow Road and in Lyndhurst east of Orient Wa…
330-Gallon Acid Spill Sends Sewer Plant Worker, Police Officer To Hospital 330-Gallon Acid Spill Sends Sewer Plant Worker, Police Officer To Hospital
330-Gallon Acid Spill Sends Sewer Plant Worker, Police Officer To Hospital A Parsippany sewer plant worker and responding police officer were hospitalized following a chemical spill Thursday, authorities said. Peroxyacetic acid -- which is highly corrosive -- leaked from a faulty valve on a 330-gallon storage container at the Edwards Road facility around 2 p.m., Parsippany Police Sgt. Brian Conover said. The worker sustained minor chemical burns and the officer reported symptoms consistent with chemical exposure, were decontaminated and taken to Morristown Medical Center, police said. The two patients were both later released. Par-Troy EMS, Rockaway Neck First Ai…
Officer Suffering Reaction To Cleaning Products Brings HazMat Response To Parsippany Home Officer Suffering Reaction To Cleaning Products Brings HazMat Response To Parsippany Home
Officer Suffering Reaction To Cleaning Products Brings HazMat Response To Parsippany Home The Morris County Hazardous Materials unit was called to a Parsippany home after an officer responding to a call had a physical reaction to cleaning products, authorities said. An officer noticed a strong smell of ammonia while responding to the Upper Rainbow Trail home on a report of possible criminal mischief around 5:30 p.m., Monday, Parsippany Police Sgt. Brian Conover said.  The officer's throat began burning and his eyes were watering as the homeowner explained he cleans up after his two dogs with bleach, police said. Fire and emergency service officials were called to the scene…
Unknown Substance Leaks Bring HazMat Response To Boonton Chemical Plant Unknown Substance Leaks Bring HazMat Response To Boonton Chemical Plant
Unknown Substance Leaks Bring HazMat Response To Boonton Chemical Plant A hazardous materials team responded to a Boonton chemical plant Wednesday morning after three drums were found to be leaking an unknown substance during a scheduled fire inspection, authorities said. Substance samples from a pair of unlabeled 55-gallon drums and a third marked as flammable, at Adron Inc. on Fanny Road, indicated no direct hazard to the public, Parsippany Police Sgt. Brian Conover said. Parsippany police, Morris County Haz-Mat, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office (Fire and Environmental Unit), NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Rockaway Neck Fire D…
Evacuations Ordered After Struck Canister Releases 'Vapor Cloud' Near Hawthorne Ballfield Evacuations Ordered After Struck Canister Releases 'Vapor Cloud' Near Hawthorne Ballfield
Evacuations Ordered After Struck Canister Releases 'Vapor Cloud' Near Hawthorne Ballfield A "vapor cloud" released when a work crew accidentally punctured a buried canister containing a volatile chemical near a Hawthorne ballfield on Thursday. More than three dozen people were evacuated from nearby homes and businesses while the state DEP recovered the canister, which contained Methyltrichlorosilane, in an auxiliary parking lot, police Detective Sgt. Matthew Hoogmoed said. The chemical, which is "highly flammable and reacts violently with water," Hoogmoed said. "After the canister was punctured, it spilled a yellow tinted fluid into the dirt and a vapor cloud was released," th…
Firefighters Use Dry Chemicals To Douse Blaze At Upper Saddle River Medical Manufacturer Firefighters Use Dry Chemicals To Douse Blaze At Upper Saddle River Medical Manufacturer
Firefighters Use Dry Chemicals To Douse Blaze At Upper Saddle River Medical Manufacturer Firefighters used chemicals to extinguish a fire at the Triangle Manufacturing plant in Upper Saddle River early Thursday. The fire broke out just before 8:30 a.m. in a unit at the Parkway plant that collects aluminum dust, USR Police Detective Lt. Edward Kane said. Water can't douse that type of fire -- and may, instead, cause an explosion, Kane said.  Extinguishers containing a dry chemical blend are necessary. Firefighters from Upper Saddle River, Mahwah and Ramsey responded, along with hazardous materials units from Bergen County and Mahwah. Triangle manufactures medical instrum…
Motorists Pull Driver From Burning Car After Crash On Route 208 In Wyckoff Motorists Pull Driver From Burning Car After Crash On Route 208 In Wyckoff
Motorists Pull Driver From Burning Car After Crash On Route 208 In Wyckoff Motorists bolted from their vehicles and pulled an unconscious driver from a Volvo that burst into flames Monday night after careening off Route 208 in Wyckoff and hitting a boulder and a tree. The 21-year-old Chester, NY driver was taken to a local hospital after his 2006 Volvo crashed between Cedar Hill and Russell avenues around 7:30 p.m., Lt. Joseph Soto said. Charges against him were pending, Soto said. Route 208’s northbound lanes were closed until 4:30 a.m. for an investigation and cleanup. The state Department of Environmental Protection also responded “to remove hazardous material…
Responders Clear Roofing Glue Fumes From HackensackUMC At Pascack Responders Clear Roofing Glue Fumes From HackensackUMC At Pascack
Responders Clear Roofing Glue Fumes From HackensackUMC At Pascack UPDATE: Firefighters used fans to clear noxious fumes Saturday from a section of HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley caused by chemicals used in roofing glue. Workers were working on a roof of the hospital on Old Hook Road in Westwood when the incident occurred, sickening several people. Police, firefighters and a Bergen County hazardous materials unit were summoned just after 12:30 p.m. Ramsey Rescue sent the decontamination unit in case any workers or others were exposed to the chemicals. Ambulances were also put on standby before it was determined that evacuations weren't necessary.
Ramsey Rescue Clears Chlorine-Laced Trash That Fell From Truck Near School Ramsey Rescue Clears Chlorine-Laced Trash That Fell From Truck Near School
Ramsey Rescue Clears Chlorine-Laced Trash That Fell From Truck Near School Hazardous materials technicians from the Ramsey Rescue squad cleared a pile of chlorine-laced trash that fell off the back of a garbage truck near an elementary school on Monday. Ramsey police, firefighters and Ambulance Corps members also responded to the Island Avenue incident near the Wesley D. Tisdale School. So did their colleagues from OEM, DPW and a Bergen County Hazmat team. "The scene has been mitigated without incident," the rescue squad reported. There were no injuries, the squad said.
Waste Treatment Plant Fire On Hudson River In North Bergen Goes To 4 Alarms Waste Treatment Plant Fire On Hudson River In North Bergen Goes To 4 Alarms
Waste Treatment Plant Fire On Hudson River In North Bergen Goes To 4 Alarms NORTH BERGEN, N.J. – (UPDATE) Authorities urged residents and merchants in the area to keep their windows closed and stay indoors early Wednesday afternoon as firefighters doused a stubborn blaze at a waste treatment plant undergoing renovations on the Hudson River in North Bergen. The fast-moving fire at the township Municipal Authority treatment plant in the 7100 block of River Road, just beneath the Galaxy Towers in Guttenberg, was ignited just before 9 a.m. by a worker using a torch, authorities said. The blaze went to four alarms and continued to burn before being brought under control…
Ramsey Man, 24, Killed By Drinking Toxic Mixture Ramsey Man, 24, Killed By Drinking Toxic Mixture
Ramsey Man, 24, Killed By Drinking Toxic Mixture RAMSEY, N.J. -- A 24-year-old Ramsey man died Monday after drinking a toxic cocktail made from mixing a chemical used in airbags with water. It was unclear whether the Peach Hill condominium resident knew that he was drinking sodium azide, responders said, adding that family notifications were made. Sodium azide is described as "a rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical that exists as an odorless white solid. When it is mixed with water or an acid, sodium azide changes rapidly to a toxic gas with a pungent (sharp) odor." In a car, the chemical explodes when triggered electron…
HazMat Response To Odor At Hawthorne Apartments: Contractor Chemicals HazMat Response To Odor At Hawthorne Apartments: Contractor Chemicals
HazMat Response To Odor At Hawthorne Apartments: Contractor Chemicals HAWTHORNE, N.J. -- Two residents of a Hawthorne apartment building refused hospitalization Saturday morning after chemicals used by a contractor irritated them. Hawthorne police, firefighters and EMS responded along with a Passaic County hazardous materials team to several 911 calls of an irritating odor at the Mill View Lofts building on Westervelt Avenue. The odor was traced to a contractor's use of a chemical product that created combustible fumes. Hawthorne EMS evaluated two residents who said they felt ill, but both refused ambulance transportation to a local hospital.  Firefighters …
PHOTOS: Wayne Firefighters Douse Condo Garage Row Fire PHOTOS: Wayne Firefighters Douse Condo Garage Row Fire
Photos: Wayne Firefighters Douse Condo Garage Row Fire WAYNE, N.J. -- Hours after several Wayne firefighters had to be decontaminated from a pre-dawn hazardous materials incident Sunday, members doused a blaze that blew through a garage row of a condominium complex. Someone working on a car in one of the units "may have spilled gasoline," igniting the 10:30 a.m. fire at the Knox Terrace Condos, Police Detective Capt. Lawrence Martin said. Members of the township's volunteer Fire Companies 4, 3 and 5 responded, along with the Wayne Memorial Volunteer First Aid Squad. Firefighters contained the flames to five units. No injuries were r…