CASTLETON, NY - On July 5th at 5:21 A.M., the Schodack Landing FD along with Mutual Aid from South Schodack, Castleton, Stuyvesant, Stuyvesant Falls, Schodack Valley, Best Luther, North Chatham, Valatie, Niverville, Kinderhook, East Greenbush and Castleton Ambulance responded to 607 Van Hoesen Road for a reported garage fire.

South Schodack Car 2 called while en route to the scene and was notified that they had a working garage fire. As the chief made his way to the scene he had a large column of thick black smoke in the clear morning sky and requested the second-alarm to be transmitted.

The first arriving chief on scene notified the dispatcher that he had a working commercial garage fire with multiple vehicles on fire, including a large commercial bus. The first arriving engine deployed multiple hand lines and began to knock down the fire in the middle of the structure. As crews worked, a massive explosion occurred that sent a large portion of the roof into the roadway and onto the property across the way.

As crews worked on knocking down the fire, the operations chief established a tanker relay and firefighters began to bring water from the Hudson River to the scene. Additional firefighters arrived on scene and crews went to work knocking down the multiple vehicles and the boat that were on fire. Several firefighters began to work the fully involved bus and were able to knock down the heavy fire with foam.

Fire investigators were requested to the scene, as well as National Grid for a power line down across the roadway. Crews were able to bring the fire under control in about one hour. Firefighters conducted extensive overhaul on scene of the garage and the large bus. The building was a total loss and multiple vehicles on site were destroyed.

No injuries were reported and the fire is under investigation at this time.