New Information on What Caused The Scary Fire in East Fishkill

On Tuesday, August 3rd around 1:15 PM, a scary explosion was heard around the Town Road area of East Fishkill.

The East Fishkill Fire District, Hillside Lake Fire Company, Wiccoppee Fire Company, East Fishkill Police Department, Stormville Fire Company,  Beekaman Fire Company, Village of Fishkill Fire Department, Hopewell Hose Fire Company, Empress Ambulance, East Fishkill Support Group, Protection Engine Company, Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response, New York State Police, Dutchess County Sheriff, Central Hudson, and Con Edison were all involved in investigating and managing the now confirmed gas explosion that led to frightening flames shooting over 100 feet in the air over East Fishkill.

See Also: Scary Fire Erupts in East Fishkill

The East Fishkill Fire District has shared more information about what caused the fire and how teams were able to manage the intense situation.

Streak of Fire Spotted Above East Fishkill

The incident began with the sound of an explosion. One video shared in the comments of a post in the East Fishkill Community Forum shows patrons at the nearby Joe's Dairy Bar running to their cars and away from the apparent fire shooting into the sky.

East Fishkill Fire District shares that they set up at the nearby East Fishkill Provisions and immediately took note of, " the uncontrolled volume of fire with close proximity to overhead power lines."

This led to a shelter-in-place order for surrounding residents, multiple road closures, and eventually evacuation orders for some in the area. The Eastern Dutchess County Fire and Rescue page was sharing to-the-minute updates about the situation, keeping many residents informed.

Gas Leak Confirmed in East Fishkill

Once crews were able to understand the cause of the fire, Central Hudson and Con Edison were deployed to shut off gas valves and divert power. Traffic lights and local electricity were interrupted during these efforts.

Once these lines were secure, fire crews on the scene were able to extinguish the fire, including a brush fire that had begun to spread.

According to Central Hudson, by 3:30 PM, the fire was completely extinguished, but efforts didn't end there.

Once the fire was out, Central Hudson was able to swiftly restore electricity to the local area, however, the gas line that feeds nearly 500 homes and businesses had been interrupted.

Central Hudson shares on Wednesday, August 4 that, "Central Hudson crews were performing maintenance near a regulator station that began to over-pressurize" at the time of the fire's start.

They go on to share that "Preliminary reports suggest a safety device began to release that pressure as designed. Within moments the natural gas venting into the atmosphere ignited, causing damage to electric wires overhead."

The press release also states that while some pieces of the puzzle are coming together, the exact cause of the ignition is still unknown.

East Fishkill Community Rallies Together

While crews were working on extinguishing the fire and investigating what happened, many roads remained closed and evacuation orders were in place. Multiple community members and businesses around the East Fishkill area extended offers for those unable to return to their homes.

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Hopewell Inn shared a post stating they were offering a half-priced menu for those unable to go home and homeowners in the area were even posting in local Facebook groups like the East Fishkill Community Forum opening their homes up to people who needed somewhere to go.

Current State of Gas in East Fishkill

Central Hudson shares that as of 8:30 AM on Wednesday, August 4th, they are still currently working on restoring gas services to the approximately 500 affected homes and businesses.

They share that they will need to directly access the affected buildings and homes and state that, "Residents who are currently without natural gas service are asked to remain at home or to make arrangements to have a responsible adult present to allow entry, as restoring gas service requires these inspections and relights."

They also share that every representative working for Central Hudson carries identification, so if you are unsure, you may request to see the identification prior to entering any home or business.

We will continue staying updated on these events.