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Fire suppression system accidentally activates at Lindenhurst gas station, seven people hospitalised
A fire suppression system accidentally discharged at a Mobil gas station on Route 109 in Lindenhurst, Long Island, covering cars and customers in white chemical powder and sending seven people to hospital with respiratory complaints.
An alarming incident at a Mobil gas station on Route 109 in Lindenhurst, Long Island left seven people requiring hospital treatment after the facility's fire suppression system accidentally discharged, blanketing the area in a thick cloud of white chemical powder. The discharge covered vehicles, pumps and customers who were filling up at the time, creating a scene that startled nearby residents and motorists.
According to the East Farmingdale Fire Chief who responded to the scene, someone manually released the extinguishing agent, triggering the system to activate across the entire station forecourt. The chemical suppressant, designed to rapidly smother fuel fires, coated everything in its path including several vehicles that were parked at the pumps and the customers standing beside them.
Among those affected was the husband of local resident Michelle Chester, who was in the process of refuelling his vehicle when the system went off. Chester described how her husband heard a sudden popping sound before the white substance erupted from the suppression nozzles and engulfed the area. His vehicle's interior was completely covered in the powder, and he was transported to hospital after inhaling a significant quantity of the chemical agent.
The East Farmingdale Fire Chief confirmed that the cause of the discharge was accidental, resulting from someone manually triggering the release mechanism rather than any actual fire or emergency at the station. A total of seven individuals were transported to local hospitals, primarily suffering from respiratory irritation caused by inhaling the fine powder particles that hung in the air for an extended period after the discharge.
The incident left a remarkable visual scene at the station, with vehicles, fuel pumps and the surrounding pavement coated in a layer of white residue. Local residents expressed concern about the safety of refuelling at the location, with some questioning how such a system could be accidentally activated. The station was temporarily closed while emergency crews assessed the situation and conducted a thorough cleanup of the affected area.