Forklift error at NY beauty products warehouse spurs chemical leak, fire and stay-inside warning

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YONKERS, N.Y. (AP) — A chemical leak and fire at a suburban New York beauty products warehouse Tuesday may have been caused by a forklift mishap, officials said, warning neighbors to stay indoors. Commuter trains were temporarily stalled in the area ahead of the evening rush hour.

The trouble began around noon at a facility in Yonkers, a city of about 211,000 people on the Hudson River just north of New York City's Bronx borough. Firefighters believe a forklift damaged a container while moving products around the tightly packed space, and the container leaked a chemical of some sort, Fire Commissioner William Fitzpatrick said at a news conference.

Voice and email messages were sent to a hair and skin products company that operates from the address.

Fitzpatrick said firefighters arrived to find a large cloud of white chemical smoke pouring out of the warehouse, and within an hour, the chemical reaction intensified into a fire.

Police warned residents of several surrounding blocks to stay inside because of “a hazmat situation involving bleach.” Cars and pedestrians were told to avoid the area.

Two people with pre-existing medical problems were escorted out of the area, Fitzpatrick said. About half a dozen firefighters suffered minor injuries during an hourslong response.

Ultimately, wind blew a lot of the smoke toward the nearby Hudson River and away from buildings, the commissioner said. He said firefighters had the blaze under control by late afternoon.

The Metro-North Railroad stopped running trains in the area around 3:30 p.m., but they started rolling again two hours later.