The incident took place at Barton Orchards in Poughquag in the state’s scenic Hudson Valley. At around 1 p.m., a fire was reported at one of the business buildings, following a gas leak from a Bottini Fuel truck that had been delivering propane to the site, which resulted in an explosion.
Once fire personnel were able to make it to the scene, the blaze had spread from the initial scene of the explosion to engulf several of the orchard’s buildings, Mid-Hudson News reported. The fuel truck that started the fire was also burning at the time.
The incident prompted a response from multiple fire agencies in the region. According to Mid-Hudson News, this included first responders from as far away as the town of Ulster, which is located roughly 42 miles north of the orchard.
As of 3 p.m., Barton Orchards reported in a Facebook post that portions of the fire were still being brought under control, and that the business had sustained no casualties in the blaze.
“We had a fire at the farm today,” the post read. “All of our employees and our animals are safe. We are thankful for fire and first responders who are still battling what is left of the fire. We will keep everyone posted.”
By 3:30 p.m., radio station WPDH News reported that a portion of Route 7, between Beekman Road and Recreation Road, in the town of Beekman was still closed due to the fire. The radio station also reported that Beekman Elementary School was evacuated because of the blaze.
Photos shared on social media, according to WPDH, showed sizeable plumes of black smoke rising up from the fire, visible from a considerable distance away over lines of trees. Another photo, taken at close range, appeared to show a building reduced to a few support beams and the foundation by the flames. A woman posted to Facebook claiming that her son, who works at the orchard, attempted to help fight the fire, but said that employees were being kept at a distance due to the ongoing risk of an explosion.
Newsweek reached out to Barton Orchards for comment.
Barton Orchards has been in operation for around four decades in the Hudson Valley and covers roughly 175 acres of land. Throughout the apple picking season, it is a popular destination in the region and hosts numerous events and festivals.
