Powder keg
GAS-TANK STASH PUT CITI FIELD AT RISK
FDNY fire inspectors averted a potentially lethal postseason blast near Citi Field, removing some 4,000 flammable gas tanks from a Queens welding company just two minutes away from the Mets’ home field.
The FDNY descended on the T&T Supply Co. on Willets Point Blvd. in Flushing after an Oct. 9 inspection by the Bureau of Fire Prevention Salvage Yard Task Force uncovered the plethora of tanks, most used to hold propane or acetylene, authorities said.
The business was immediately shuttered as the owners of the company were ordered to hire outside contractors to remove row after row of the dangerous canisters.
“That’s a disaster waiting to happen,” said a retired city explosives expert with more than 30 years of experience. “I really don’t believe it. Oh, my God. How the hell did he get away with it? You know the shrapnel that would have been flying around if, God forbid, that was a fire? … If it blew, the tanks would take off like friggin’ torpedoes.”
A junkyard is one of the worst places to stack flammable gases in such higgledy-piggledy fashion, the retired expert said.
“They’re full of old cars, they’ve got gas and oil that’s leaked out over years, it’s likely on the ground and in the soil, along with a lot of other chemicals,” the expert said. “One errant spark, and that’s all she wrote.”
The scene had the potential for igniting a junkyard fire like the one that killed one person and took two days to extinguish in the Bronx last month, another source said.
Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said FDNY inspectors are constantly scouring the city to spot potential hazards before they become disasters.
“Our fire protection inspectors perform outstanding, lifesaving work like this each and every day, identifying and taking corrective action when they find potentially dangerous conditions in our city,” Nigro stated.
The owner did have a permit to store up to 300 pounds of propane on site — but with each canister weighing between 20 and 40 pounds, he definitely exceeded his cap, sources said.
It was unclear how much of the flammable gases were left in the assorted storage tanks.
Fire officials slapped the business with seven criminal summonses for improper storage, illegal storage, not having the canisters secured and other violations. The FDNY has assigned an engine company, a hazmat team and task force members to the scene since the discovery of the tanks six days ago.
The tanks, which came in a variety of colors and sizes, were stacked on shelves rising up to the ceiling.
“I really can’t talk about what’s going on at this point,” said business owner Warren Terrell. “With them still working on it, it’s a pending situation.”
Local 2507 union head Oren Barzilay, who represents fire inspectors along with FDNY EMTs and paramedics, praised the inspectors’ “quick reactions.”
“They work very hard to avert potential problems and keep New Yorkers safe,” Barzilay said.