Leader-Herald |
An evacuation order triggered by a fire on a tractor trailer hauling compressed natural gas on the state Thruway near Mindenville on Tuesday morning was lifted when the danger was cleared within two hours.
The driver called 911 around 9:02 a.m. to report that the tractor trailer transporting numerous cylinders was on fire, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said.
It was traveling eastbound in Montgomery County between Exit 29 in Canajoharie and Exit 29A in Little Falls. All lanes on I-90 between those exits were temporarily blocked in both directions during the incident response.
Because of the hazardous materials, sheriff’s officials said an emergency evacuation was ordered within a one-mile radius of the scene, encompassing portions of the towns of Minden and St. Johnsville. Approximately 165 residents were affected by the order.
Residents were allowed to return to their homes when the order was lifted around 11 a.m. State police said no other vehicles were involved in the incident and no injuries were reported.
Canajoharie Fire Chief Frank Nestle said the cause of the fire remains under investigation in coordination with the state Thruway Authority and Department of Transportation inspectors.
Nestle said the driver experienced apparent brake problems before discovering the rear axle of the tractor had caught fire. The truck driver attempted to put out the fire with extinguishers, but was unable to prevent the tractor trailer from becoming fully involved and moved safely away from the vehicle.
Responding fire crews maintained a safe distance and monitored the blaze until the fire burned itself out in accordance with protocols for incidents involving venting gases, Nestle said.
Firefighters subsequently cooled down the vehicle to protect against reignition in case any of the cylinders contained residual gas and to prepare the tractor trailer to be safely towed away.
Nestle said it was fortunate that the fire occurred in an open area where first responders were able to control access to the scene. Intense heat from the blaze could be felt by fire crews inside the cabs of their trucks approaching the fire from the westbound lane, he said.
“Once it catches on fire, the appropriate measurement is to let it burn, as long as it’s not impinging any structures or human life, which it wasn’t. We had the traffic shut down both ways,” Nestle said.
Amid the temporary lane closures, a long line of traffic could be seen leaving the Thruway at Canajoharie on 511NY.org just before 10:30 a.m.
State police announced shortly before 11 a.m. westbound Thruway lanes reopened. The eastbound lanes remained closed amid cleanup operations and reopened by 1:53 p.m.
Temporary staging areas for residents affected by the evacuation order were opened in the gym at Harry Hoag Elementary School and the auditorium at Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Junior-Senior High School throughout the morning.
Both school districts stated additional security measures were implemented to ensure the safety of students, staff and the public during the emergency evacuation period. Fort Plain officials said no one ultimately sought shelter at Harry Hoag before the order was lifted.
“As a cooperating public partner, and per our district safety plan, we were prepared to provide shelter on our campus to evacuees and with additional security measures to maintain the safety and security of our students, staff and schools,” the Fort Plain Central School District said in a post on Facebook. “Many thanks to our law enforcement partners for their cooperation and fast actions today.”
Assisting fire departments included Canajoharie, Fort Plain, St. Johnsville, East Herkimer and Rural Grove. Additional assistance was provided by state police, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Canajoharie Police Department, Fort Plain Police Department and St. Johnsville Police Department among other local and state agencies.
“I am extremely proud of the professionalism, preparedness and coordinated response demonstrated by all agencies involved. Most importantly, no injuries were reported. This incident serves as another example of the importance of training, equipment, planning and strong interagency partnerships in keeping our community safe,” Montgomery County Sheriff Jeffery Smith said in a statement.
Reach Ashley Onyon at aonyon@dailygazette.net.
Martin McManus clears snow from the front of his rental properties on Grand Avenue in Gloversville on Tuesday.
Clearing the way
The village will take the first steps to remediate Canajoharie’s aging sewer system after being awarded a $1.5 million grant.
“We would not be able to start or make really any substantial improvements to the system to improve efficiency without the grant,” Deputy Mayor Peter Lyden said Friday.
The $1.5 million Community Development Block Grant was among more than $463 million in awards across New York recently announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul through the state’s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.
The village will use the grant to fund a phase one project repairing failing village sewer lines in the worst condition.
Instead of replacing the existing pipes, a cast-in-place lining will be installed to help control costs while avoiding major excavation.
“It’s the less invasive, less expensive way to buy us another 60 to 75 years in the sewer system,” Lyden said.
The project will begin to address Canajoharie’s........