Firefighters Tackle Brush Fire, Then A Roof Fire At Route 22 Mercedes Dealership

LEWISBORO, NY — Firefighters shifted seamlessly between three very different situations that shared a common origin during a very busy day.

Golden’s Bridge firefighters responding to a brush fire behind the Mercedes-Benz dealership on Route 22 in Lewisboro on Wednesday were met with a second emergency when smoke began rising from the roof of the newly constructed building. The Golden’s Bridge Fire Department said the initial dispatch came in at 3:16 p.m. for downed power lines and a brush fire at Green Hill Road and Green Lane, behind the dealership.

The department said command upgraded the incident to an active structure fire at 4:06 p.m. after firefighters saw thick black smoke billowing from part of the roof. That brought in mutual aid from surrounding Northern Westchester fire departments.

According to the Cause and Origin Team of the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services, the incident escalated to an electrical fire on the roof after an electrical supply failure caused by downed power lines toppled by a large tree limb. The same failure also ignited the brush fire.

Firefighters had to wait for NYSEG crews to cut power before they could attack either fire, according to Golden’s Bridge fire officials. The department said isolating electricity was the priority because water on an electrical fire is extremely dangerous and posed an electrocution hazard. Fire officials also reported that a backup generator supplying power to air conditioning units on the roof caught fire, creating another power source that had to be isolated before suppression could begin.

When crews arrived, they found a burning utility pole and live power lines burning on the ground, the department said. After smoke was spotted from the roof, the building was evacuated and command transmitted a 10-75, the code for an active structure fire, to dispatch. Firefighters then shifted from brush fire tactics to structure fire operations, using self-contained breathing apparatus, hand tools, hand lines and extension ladders while waiting for confirmation that the roof and surrounding ground were no longer energized.

During the response, a transformer on nearby Old Bedford Road on the west side of Interstate 684 also caught fire because of shifted electrical load conditions, according to fire officials.

The Golden’s Bridge Fire Department responded with a tanker, rescue unit and three engines. Mutual aid came from South Salem, Croton Falls, Katonah and Bedford Hills, while Vista and Somers covered calls in the district, including the transformer fire.

Operations ended at about 5:42 p.m. after crews checked for hot spots on the roof and embers in the brush fire. The department said no civilians or firefighters were injured.