Hillburn FD was dispatched around 1:40 a.m. to a tractor-trailer fire on the NYS Thruway at the exit 15 ramp. Because of the trailer’s contents, Tallman, Sloatsburg, and Suffern fire departments responded with mutual aid, and a full hazmat response was called in. The incident was closed at approximately 8:25 a.m.
The tanker was carrying up to 6,000 gallons of flammable milled zinc oxide when it caught fire in the rear brakes area, though flames never reached the chemical itself. As a precaution, Suffern’s fire chief ordered homes along Route 202 below the Thruway evacuated in case the tanker ruptured and ran downhill toward the houses. About 60 firefighters and emergency personnel responded to keep the situation from becoming an explosion risk.
Dozens of evacuated residents spent three to four hours at the Suffern Community Center, given bagels and orange juice while children slept or played board games. Suffern police closed Route 202 until 6 a.m., and the Thruway itself was closed in both directions for a time before reopening.