Fumes from Portable Generator Led to Fatal New City Fire, Police Say

The explosion and fire Oct. 27 that killed a New City homeowner and severely injured his wife was caused by a chain of events starting with a gas leak from a portable generator kept in the garage, the Clarkstown Police Detective Bureau announced.

The fire occurred just before 11:30 PM Oct. 27 at 51 Hansen Ave.

The portable generator had been leaking gasoline.

Luis Fernandez started to clean up the fuel leak and Ruth Fernandez went to the utility room off the garage to retrieve rags to assist, police said.

When she opened the door of the utility room, the fumes came into contact with the pilot lights on the hot water heater or the furnace and ignited, police said.

He died in the explosion and fire.

She was badly burned and taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, the Nyack Free Press reported.

Intense flamed had engulfed the front of the house and garage by the time the first emergency responders arrived, within minutes of the first call.

In all more than 50 firefighters from the New City Fire Department fought the blaze, with help from Congers, Nanuet and Hillcrest and with Haverstraw firefighters on standby in case of other emergencies, according to NyackFreePress.com.

PHOTO credit: Phil Costa, a New City volunteer firefighter and the department’s photographer. See his entire photo gallery from the Hansen Avenue fire on Nyack Free Press