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A massive tree fell onto College Avenue in Sleepy Hollow Thursday night after severe weather hit the area, causing a fire and damage to an apartment building and several cars.
Victor Schmitt was watching the storm from his upstairs window when he saw a big gust of wind blow through, causing the tree to fall.
Im looking right at the telephone pole, he said. The top of it bent about 15-20 feet. It looked like it almost reached the walkway. You know the top just came this way and snapped back, and when it snapped back, the transformer popped. And about five minutes later when I came down, the next telephone pole there started catching fire.
The accident was one of several in the area. Power outages have been reported in the area, according to ConEdison. At least two streets remain closed at this time due to downed trees or power lines -- College Avenue in Sleepy Hollow and Church Street in Tarrytown.
The College Avenue incident knocked out power to the surrounding buildings. The tree fell from one side of the street to the other around 5:45 p.m., hitting an apartment building and at least three cars in the process. Officials were still working to clear the area more than four hours later.
John Lynn lives inside the apartment building. He said when the tree fell, his apartment just went black. His neighbor said there was a fire inside his apartment, so the former firefighter got his fire extinguisher and checked it out. He clarified that the fire was only outside.
Lynn and the rest of the building residents then said they went outside, where they stood hours later.
Sergeant Felix Corona of the Sleepy Hollow Police Department said ConEdison was able to shut the power off while the Sleepy Hollow Fire Department put out a small electrical fire. ConEdison will need to install a new transformer, he said.
DPW is trying to get the tree off the vehicles, and then people will be able to go back into their homes, Corona said. But they wont have power until ConEd comes and repairs it.
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