ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (1010 WINS) -- Gov. Kathy Hochul directed state agencies to the scene of an explosion on Long Island, where a fuel truck crashed into a furniture store and blew up early Wednesday, igniting a massive fire that shut down part of Sunrise Highway as gasoline spread to the surrounding area.
Hochul directed state agencies to assist Nassau County's response to the fiery explosion at a former La-Z-Boy furniture gallery at Sunrise Highway and N. Centre Avenue in Rockville Centre.
The governor said she directed a number of state agencies to the scene, including the Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Transportation, Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services, and New York State Police.
“DEC has deployed Environmental Conservation Police Officers and Spill Responders, including a drone pilot, to assess the potential environmental impacts to the Mill River and surrounding area and to pump out, clean, and flush the impacted drainage system,” Hochul said in a statement.
“DOT is currently assessing damage to the drainage system, pavement and a traffic signal and additional information will be provided as it becomes available,” the governor added.
The fire department got a call about the inferno just after 1 a.m. When firefighters arrived, the overturned tanker and vacant furniture store were engulfed in flames, Rockville Centre fire chief James Avondet said.
“It was as bright as day,” Avondet said of the blaze.
“There were about 9,200 gallons on the gasoline tanker when it flipped and caught fire,” Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said.
The truck’s driver managed to escape. He was found lying on the ground and was taken to an area hospital.
The driver is being questioned as the cause of the crash is investigated, officials said.
Avondet said it's one of the worst fires he has seen in his 47-year career as a firefighter.
“When I came here, there was fire everywhere—the streets, the tanker, the two buildings—and when I looked down Sunrise Highway, there was fire coming out of seven or eight manhole covers, about a quarter mile down the road of Sunrise Highway,” he said.
The flames began spreading to a nearby liquor store, but 125 firefighters from 18 departments prevented the fire from reaching inside the store.
Three firefighters were injured; two of them were taken to the hospital.
Avondet said firefighters were able to get the blaze under control “in a relatively short time with very few injuries.” He added, “We’re very glad if it was going to happen it happened at one o’clock in the morning with nobody else around.”
The La-Z-Boy showroom was destroyed, collapsing into a pile of burnt rubble. Firefighters continued to douse the flames into the morning.
Uttaro said fuel got into the sewer system and into local creeks, where it was being contained with booms. “So there’s no threat to the environment at the moment,” he said. “There’s no threat to any of the citizens or any homes.”
He said the Coast Guard was helping to map the spill. The Department of Environmental Conservation is monitoring fuel spill-off into local waterways.
Avondet said the water in Rockville Centre was safe to drink although it “might be a little yellow in color.”
Power was also cut to the area, and it could be a while before it’s restored, officials said.
Nassau Traffic Management said on Twitter that traffic was closed in both directions and to expect delays in the area that could stretch into the day.
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