NY Firefighters, Hazmat Teams Battle Stubborn PPE Factory Fire

A large fire that burned overnight at an Amherst manufacturer of personal protective equipment was brought under control as of early Wednesday morning after a response that involved hundreds of fire companies, Amherst fire officials said.

Volunteer firefighters and hazmat teams from throughout Erie County, as well as the Buffalo Fire Department and Buffalo Niagara International Airport Fire Department, battled a stubborn blaze Tuesday evening and through the night.

"At this point, we're still looking for hot spots, hidden fires, and we'll be here," Brad Sprague, chief of the Main-Transit Fire Department, told reporters Wednesday morning. He said the fire at Premium PPE, 120 Earhart Drive, manufacturer of surgical and face masks, was well under control.

No cause had yet been determined and an investigation was beginning, said Amherst Fire Inspector John Pidgeon. There were no injuries reported; a few employees were on site at the time of the fire but safely evacuated, officials said.

Thick black smoke was seen for miles Tuesday evening as the fire forced the closing of the Thruway while evacuations were ordered within a 1,000-foot radius of the fire.

Sprague said that at least 50 different fire companies were on hand to battle the blaze and a "probably a couple hundred" were involved when fire companies covering for others were considered.

"This is the biggest event I've been a part of," Sprague said. "I'm told it is one of the biggest fires in history of the Town of Amherst, based on the complexity and the resources needed."

Sprague said the scope of the fire was so large that trucks were provided from companies in Genesee County as well as the Southern Tier.

"This is a large warehouse that was fully involved, so we needed water from different mains because mains can only pump so much," Sprague said. "We had multiple aerial ladders and pumpers in place. There was just a huge fire load and it took time to extinguish the fire.

"It was a lot of combustible products burning. It's a warehouse, so there were racks of products."

Sprague lauded fire dispatchers for their role in coordinating such a large event and handling the back-filling of companies throughout the region, "so that no one was left without coverage in Erie County."

The fire was reported at 4:26 p.m. Tuesday, according to Amherst Police Lt. Gregg Huller.

Motorists were urged to avoid the Earhart Drive-Wehrle Drive-Youngs Road area, and Lawrence Bell Drive and Earhart were closed.

Fire officials said no neighboring buildings suffered damage.

The eastbound Thruway was closed at 6:21 p.m. from Exit 50 ( I-290) to Exit 49 because of the fire. The westbound lanes were closed a short time later from Exit 48A to Exit 49, and the ramp from I-290 eastbound to the eastbound Thruway was closed. The road reopened less than three hours later.

"They've got their work cut out for them for the night," Kulpa said.

Premium PPE announced plans last September to invest $4.5 million into opening the personal protective equipment facility that was to create 25 jobs at the 43,700-square-foot building.

"It's kind of a tough one, they just moved in," Kulpa said.

The New York Power Authority agreed to support the company's expansion plan with low-cost power.

Premium PPE broadened its business into manufacturing, according to the Power Authority. The company's owners operated a two-employee PPE import distribution business in Cheektowaga, the Power Authority said.

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