Rockville Centre, NY (Nassau County) 3rd Alarm Tanker Into Building Fire 2/16/22

[raybrag]

In the early morning hours the East Rockaway Fire Department was alerted for a Mutual Aid to the Rockville Centre Fire Department for a Ladder and Ambulance to respond to the scene of a working fire on Sunrise Highway. Ladder 403, Ambulance 408, and Chiefs Bilardello, Pignataro, and Monaco responded and arrived on scene to find units operating at a major incident in which a tanker had struck a building and ignited. This lead to significant fire in one commercial building, a large HAZMAT incident with 12,000 gallons of flammable liquid spilled, and an additional commercial building in danger of going on fire spread across multiple blocks. Ladder 403 was given orders by RVC Command to set up a master stream being fed by an Engine from Lakeview Fire Department. The ALS crew from Ambulance 408 was assigned to the Medical Branch and treated two minor injuries to department personnel.
All ERFD operations were under command of Chief Bilardello in conjunction with RVC Command.
This is still an active scene with many street closures in effect. We recommend to stay away from the area while emergency response crews continue operations.

The Rockville Centre FD and numerous mutual aid units are still on the scene of this incident on Sunrise Highway. Reports are saying that a tanker truck flipped over and crashed into the building. There were multiple explosions resulting in fire and a subsequent partial building collapse. The Port Authority Police Dept. dispatched ARRF units from JFK airport to assist. 26 departments from various Long Island communities responded to this incident. For those not familiar with the area, Sunrise Highway is a major traffic artery through the area, and severe traffic congestion is certain this morning.

Text courtesy East Rockaway FD and Nassau County Fire Service Academy. Photos courtesy East Rockaway FD; video courtesy Nassau County Fire Service Academy.

Tanker slams into Long Island business, sparks massive fire, shuts down Sunrise Highway

"There was fire coming out seven or eight manhole covers," Fire Chief James Avondet said. "It was one of the worst things I've seen in my 47-year career."

abc7ny.com

‘Fire Everywhere': 9,000 Gallons of Gasoline Explode, Light Up Rockville Centre

A tanker truck carrying 9,500 gallons of gasoline exploded overnight in Rockville Centre, setting two buildings and the streets on fire. Authorities received a call about 1:10 a.m. Wednesday about an overturned tanker on Sunrise Highway between North Centre Avenue and North Park Avenue. “When I...

www.nbcnewyork.com

Major cleanup in Rockville Centre after tanker crash spills gasoline, sparks fire

An out of control tanker truck careened into a commercial building and flipped across Sunrise Highway.

newyork.cbslocal.com

Surveillance video shows tanker crash that shutdown roadway

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, L.I. (PIX11) — One of New York State’s busiest roadways reopened early Thursday, 24 hours after a commercial building was destroyed when a gasoline tanker truck overtu…

pix11.com

Fuel tanker explosion sparks huge fire 'over multiple blocks & buildings'

TERRIFYING video shows the moment a fuel tanker crashes and explodes in Rockville Center, causing a fireball that lit up the night sky. The incident happened on Long Island, New York at around 2am …

www.the-sun.com

Tanker flips, slams into building and bursts into flames in Rockville Centre; 3 firefighters hurt

Three firefighters were hurt during the fire but were not seriously injured, the Village of Rockville Centre confirms. The driver of the tanker was also hurt in the incident.

longisland.news12.com

4 injured on Long Island after tanker truck crashes into building and bursts into flames

A tanker carrying gasoline crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames in Rockville Centre on Long Island early Wednesday, authorities said.

www.usatoday.com

Cleanup, investigation continue after massive tanker truck fire in Rockville Centre

Authorities dispatched by the governor began a rapid environmental cleanup after a tanker truck overturned in Rockville Centre, igniting an inferno and spilling more than 9,000 gallons of gasoline that seeped into a nearby river.

www.newsday.com

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[nfdcanman]

nothing like some early morning three dimensional fire! I am guessing NCFMO hazmat responded?

 

[raybrag]

Yurp. For those who don't know, the Nassau County Fire Marshall's office runs the county-wide hazmat operation.

 

[raybrag]

Brian Grogan's great video:

 

[raybrag]

When was the last time you saw a PAPD Stryker crash truck operating in Nassau County?????? Brian Grogan photo.

 

[raybrag]

Brian Grogan's photos:

Sunrise Hwy Tanker into Building with Fire 2/16/22 - Grogan

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/9weu8gpcAqA

grogan.smugmug.com

Over The Edge Photography's photos:

Rockville Centre Building & Tanker Fire 02/16/2022 - Over the Edge Photography

On Wednesday February 16th at 1:12a, the Rockville Centre Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a building fire in the vicinity of Sunrise Hwy and North Centre Ave. With Rockville Centre Chiefs en route, E442 advised they were hearing multiple explosions from their station and had...

www.overtheedgephotography.com

 

[nfd2004]

Excellent coverage of this massive event Ray

 

[raybrag]

Scanning the two photo links, I noticed either apparatus or firefighters from:

Rockville Centre
Lynbrook
East Rockaway
Baldwin
Oceanside
Long Beach
Lawrence/Cedarhurst
Inwood
Malverne
Lakeview
Freeport
Merrick
Garden City
Bethpage
Farmingdale
Hicksville
Westbury
Port Authority PD
Nassau County Fire Marshall Field Comm
Nassau County Fire Marshall Hazmat

News reports cited 26 different departments responded, so this list is probably not complete. I'd guess that some departments came to supply foam concentrate . . . there was a LOT used.

 

[raybrag]

Finally, in the ho-hum department, I found this:

 

[raybrag]

Video from Fox News shows the tanker crash:

Surveillance video shows tanker crash that shutdown roadway

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, L.I. (PIX11) — One of New York State’s busiest roadways reopened early Thursday, 24 hours after a commercial building was destroyed when a gasoline tanker truck overtu…

fox40.com

 

[seniorofficer]

Surviellence video showed a car changing lanes and stopping in front of the carrier, which swerved to avoid, and overturned in the process.

 

[fdny747]

What ARFF units responded?

 

[raybrag]

What ARFF units responded?

PAPD's Crash 4 from JFK airport. See photo above.

 

[raybrag]

From the LongIslandFireWire Facebook page:
4th Battalion Fire District

What is believed to be the largest mutual aid fire response in the history of the Fourth Battalion Fire District’s occurred in the early morning hours of February 16, 2022, when a gasoline tanker truck overturned and exploded at an intersection in Rockville Centre.
At approximately 1:10 AM. on that date, the fully loaded gas tanker truck was travelling east on Sunrise Highway when just before the first intersection of Sunrise and N. Centre Avenue in Rockville Centre, the tanker overturned and slammed into the corner of a vacant furniture store at 150 Sunrise Highway and exploded in a large ball of flame.
The burning gasoline quickly ignited the building and poured burning fuel into the storm drains. The burning tanker continued through the intersection and slid down Sunrise stopping in front of a liquor store just past the intersection. The driver was able to escape from his overturned cab on his own but Rockville Centre police officers pulled him away from the fire spreading over the roadway. Twelve seconds after the driver escaped, the cab was fully involved in flames.
Nassau County Fire Communications - Firecom dispatched the Rockville Centre Fire Department to a reported building fire at that intersection. FIRECOM later reported to responding units that explosions had been heard.
RVCFD Chief James Avondet arrived on the scene and immediately requested mutual aid from neighboring fire departments and county departments. Fire companies from the other Fourth Battalion fire departments, which consisted of the East Rockaway Fire Department, Lakeview Fire Department, Lynbrook Fire Department, and Malverne Fire Department responded to the scene.
In total, and through-out the morning, a total of 28 local fire departments responded and operated at the scene to contain the large fire which was consuming the vacant furniture store and the fires in the storm drains. Departments brought large amounts of foam to fight the gasoline burning fires. Even the Port Authority Police at JFK Airport, sent an airport foam truck.
Additionally, FIRECOM sent their Fieldcom unit while the Nassau County Fire Marshal sent their Hazmat, Rehab, and drone unit to the scene. Nassau County OEM was also on the scene as was Rockville Centre PD, Lynbrook PD, and Nassau County Police Department. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and other county officials were also at the scene.
Outside departments providing assistance at the scene were the The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, U.S. Coast Guard, New York State Police, DOT, DEC, OEM, and representatives from the governor’s office.
Also, National Grid, Rockville Centre Electric, and representatives from the Village of Rockville Centre offered assistance.
Numerous department ambulances and from Northwell Health EMS were on the scene and transported the driver and two firefighters to the hospital with minor injuries. The driver later reported back to the scene and told officers the accident occurred because he had been cut off by another driver just before the intersection.
Firefighters were on the scene for approximately 15 hours. After the fires were extinguished, Sunrise Highway remained closed eastbound from Lynbrook’s Ocean Avenue to the scene.

Photos and Video by 4th Battalion Photographer Brian Grogan
Rockville Centre, New York
Lynbrook Police Benevolent Association, Inc.
Lynbrook Police Department Community Outreach
Nassau County Fire Service Academy
Long Island Fire Wire
Rockville Centre Police