NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – The FDNY seized more than 500 tanks of flammable gas illegally stored at a business in Queens on Thursday, and the owner was charged, the fire department said.
FDNY
The FDNY's Bureau of Fire Prevention discovered the tanks during a re-inspection of the business on Willets Point Boulevard in Willets Point.
The inspection revealed propane and acetylene cylinders that were "way over the permitted level" of what is allowed, FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Fred Schaaf said, adding that the tanks were in the process of being removed.
FDNY
FDNY
The owner of the business was apprehended by fire marshals and charged with a misdemeanor, according to the FDNY, which said he'll also be fined.
Schaaf said the amount of flammable cylinders could "lead to very bad outcomes." He said in the past year there was an explosion at a Bronx junkyard and another explosion on the Long Island Expressway, where a truck carrying too much propane overturned and caught fire.
"It's imperative that we try to find these places before these situations take place," Schaaf said.
