The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, N.Y.
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Dec. 28—GLENVILLE — When Glenn Kreig approached the Maple Avenue railroad bridge on the evening of Dec. 21, he had a hard time processing what was unfolding.
From his vantage point, the chief of the Alplaus Fire Department couldn't tell if the flames shooting toward the sky were coming from the cargo train passing over the 10-foot-high span or the tractor-trailer that collided with the structure beneath. So, Kreig grabbed his radio and relayed what he saw to a dispatcher.
"They asked me what's on fire," he recalled. "I said, 'Everything.'"
A massive explosion had just rocked East Glenville, prompting Kreig and more than a dozen other members of the Alplaus Fire Department to drop everything and jump into their vehicles as a widespread power outage plunged hundreds into darkness on a night where temperatures dipped below freezing.
The blast, heard miles away, was triggered by an 18-wheeler transporting compressed natural gas colliding with the Maple Avenue bridge. A state of emergency was declared in the aftermath of the explosion and crews would spend the next three days clearing the roadway that was eventually opened on Christmas Eve.
RAPID RESPONSE
Kreig was the first to arrive on scene that night, while the others made their way to the firehouse at the corner of Alplaus Avenue and Bruce Drive before dispatch sent out the call to respond.
Several Alplaus firefighters, in interviews this week, described leaving behind frantic family members who were jolted by the explosion. Others said their phones lit up with calls and texts from friends and loved ones concerned about their well-being as rumors of what happened began to circulate.
"I was dealing with family members, along with a lot of us, that were upset and didn't know what was going on," Kreig said. "But we have to drop all that and head to the fire station."
Some residents who live near the rail bridge thought the blast that shook the walls of their home and lit up the night sky was caused by a plane crash. One woman said she fled, fearing the apocalypse.
An army of approximately 80 first responders descended on the scene, including volunteer firefighters from across Glenville and southern Saratoga County. Crews were sent in from the Stratton Air National Guard base, along with resources from Schenectady County and the state.
Kreig was tasked with directing the forces, while around 15 members from Alplaus got to work knocking down a series of smaller flames caused by the explosion. Several nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.
"Before we got close enough to the main fire, we had tanks off-gassing in many people's yards, one up against someone's shed and a bunch of lawns on fire," said Lindsey Tibbitts, a captain with the Alplaus department. "We had these mini incidents to deal with before we could move forward with the bigger issue."
First responders quickly determined the explosion was the result of a tractor-trailer transporting dozens of canisters of compressed natural gas slamming into the Maple Avenue rail bridge, which has been a smashed into before, but has garnered less notoriety over the years than its 10-foot, 11-inch counterpart that passes over nearby Glenridge Road.
Police say the vehicle's driver, Sylvester Basil Jr. of Texas, failed to notice the signs warning of the low bridge while driving north from Pennsylvania en route to Ticonderoga using a GPS navigation system. Basil was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center to be treated for third-degree burns to his hands and face.
"He didn't do it on purpose. Stuff happens. When somebody makes a mistake, we go to help and try to fix it," said Andy Coppola, an assistant chief with Alplaus, who's been with the department for more than 40 years.
A CONSTANT PROBLEM
Bridge strikes are nothing new for members of the Alplaus department, who are called to help direct traffic whenever the roof of a box truck or a tractor-trailer is peeled off by one of the low-hanging bridges nearby.
The incidents typically only involve property damage, but fears of a medical emergency whenever a bridge is struck are always on the mind, Kreig said.
Bridge strikes also pose an additional safety risk: The ensuing traffic jams make it difficult for first responders from Alplaus to respond to emergencies, necessitating the need for mutual aid, which takes resources away from other communities.
"We are aware that we'll need mutual aid on those days because we won't be able to get off the floor quickly," Kreig said.
The state recently installed a laser detection system around the Glenridge Road rail bridge that triggers a series of warnings whenever a vehicle too tall to pass under the span approaches.
'A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE'
After the smaller flames were knocked down, first responders tackled the burning truck.
But the scene remained active for two days as crews worked to determine if the remaining canisters were in danger of exploding and dislodge the burnt trailer. Maple Avenue reopened to traffic on Christmas Eve, after crews from National Grid and Spectrum finished repairing broken cables and the rail company determined the bridge to be safe.
Debris from the exploded trailer were found strewn throughout the area and dangling in nearby trees. Some were even found on top of the train that was passing overhead at the time of the explosion, which was halted after passing and inspected for safety.
"I call it a Christmas miracle," said Richard Doyle, a captain with Alplaus and the department's chaplain. "We had tanks exploding and none went through a house. None even went through a shed. Except for the driver, we had no injuries."
Doyle also praised the community, who he said delivered hot coffee and fresh food, and opened their homes while crews stood in the freezing temperatures.
"So many departments came, and also the community and people outside of our community came to support us. And that's amazing," he said.
While the scene remained active, members of the Alplaus Fire Department continued to respond to calls, including a report of a house fire that came in at 2:30 a.m. Friday morning — just a few hours and a short distance from where the explosion took place. A handful of other fire calls came on Saturday as well, Kreig said.
"Chief and I were probably up for 40 hours straight over that incident," Coppola said. "And then when we get 10 seconds, we get another EMS call."
A TIGHT-KNIT CREW
The Alplaus Fire Department is made up of around 20 active members, who respond to fires and medical emergencies for the more than 780 homes scattered throughout the hamlet of Alplaus and provide mutual aid to neighboring departments. The department has responded to around 500 calls this year.
Like many local departments, volunteers have been hard to come by, and finding funds to purchase new equipment is no easy task with an operating budget just north of $429,000 that goes towards keeping the lights on and purchasing costly equipment.
The department is hoping to replace its decades-old fire truck in the coming years — a purchase that would carry a two-year waiting period and a price tag upwards of $800,000.
Often, Alplaus members have to take off from work to respond to calls, or to complete the necessary training required to fight fires and maintain certifications.
"Most of these classes are all at night, so you're getting out of work, you're cooking dinner and then you're going off to a different firehouse to sit in a class for three or four hours, or you're sitting in a training tower going over burn cycles," said Andrew Schultz, a firefighter with the department. "It's a lot."
But the long hours create tight bonds and a sense of family among members.
Several shared how they've spent hours gathered around a table sharing stories and a hot meal after responding to a call.
A communal breakfast was held after Maple Avenue was reopened.
"We cleaned up the other day, and we had breakfast, and that's that wind-down part," Coppola said. "That is a time for us to decompress. We talk about what's going on because there's a tiny bit of stress involved."
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