MRI Malfunction Causes Smoke To Pour Out Of Medical Building In Westchester

A malfunctioning MRI machine prompted an emergency response when it caused smoke to pour out from the roof of a medical building in Northern Westchester.

The incident happened at a medical building in Hawthorne at 19 Bradhurst Ave.
Photo Credit: *Google Maps street view/Pixabay via automatic6517*

Ben Crnic

07/11/2023 2:30 p.m.

The incident happened on Tuesday, July 11, when firefighters rushed to a medical building at 19 Bradhurst Ave. in Hawthorne to respond to a reported explosion.

According to the Valhalla Fire Department, the first crews to arrive found smoke coming from the north side of the building. Firefighters then checked both the MRI area and the building's roof and came to the conclusion that one of the MRI machines had malfunctioned.

This caused the system to neutralize the magnetic field by dumping helium, which was discharged through the roof unit. This was the "smoke" that bystanders had reported to first responders, the department said.

Once the inside of the building and roof were determined to be safe, crews were released from the scene by command.

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