Fire destroys Freehold home, property

FREEHOLD — Firefighters were called to a massive fire that destroyed a house and caused several small explosions at Smiley’s Equipment in Freehold on Saturday.

The fire at Smiley’s was ignited by a nearby brush fire that got out of control, officials confirmed Monday.

Firefighters responded to a report of large brush fire at 1:54 p.m. Saturday, at 3493 County Route 67, after being dispatched by Greene County 911.

The fire spread quickly and engulfed the house, officials said.

Police responded to the scene, at the request of firefighters, to make sure the home’s occupants were evacuated, fire officials said.

Everyone inside the home got out safely, state police confirmed Monday. The home was part of a working farm and there were a lot of animals around, but no animals were injured or lost.

Small explosions could be heard as the flames swept through the property.

“My assistant chief said something did pop,” Greenville Fire Chief Wade Davis said Monday.

The “pop” was the sound of small propane tanks exploding on the property, based on observations from a walkabout after the fire, Davis said Monday.

The Greene County Hazardous Materials Unit and state Department of Environmental Conservation Spill Response Team were called to the scene to assist with fuel spills.

The Greene County haz-mat team worked to contain a large amount of home fuel, Greene County Emergency Services Director John Farrell said Monday.

“We assisted the DEC folks putting booms up to prevent fuel spills from going off the property, from running off into streams,” Farrell said.

“I could see the place burning from my house,” said Greenville Town Supervisor Paul Macko, who lives in Freehold. “From where I live, maybe 1,500 feet away, the smoke was almost gagging.”

Several fire departments arrived after fighting another large brush fire on Deyo Road in Cairo.

Davis said the brush fire on Deyo Road in Cairo was unrelated to the fire at Smiley’s in Freehold.

More than two dozen fire companies from Greene, Albany and Columbia counties worked to bring the fire under control, including Freehold, Greenville, East Durham, Cairo, Medusa, Catskill, Oak Hill-Durham, Durham and Westerlo.

Multiple police agencies and rescue squads also assisted. County Route 67 was closed to traffic Saturday afternoon.