A fire at a commercial building in Congers Wednesday morning led to a significant explosion, the evacuation of nearby homes and businesses, and a large-scale emergency response.

At approximately 7:56 a.m. on June 24, emergency responders were dispatched to a report of smoke coming from a commercial building located at 125 Wells Avenue. Upon arrival, first responders observed heavy smoke pouring from the front of the structure and confirmed that the building was unoccupied.

The Congers Fire Department, assisted by multiple mutual aid agencies, responded to battle the blaze. Due to reports that the building contained food-grade chemicals used in the production of vitamin and dietary supplements, the Rockland County Hazardous Materials Team was also requested to the scene.

During firefighting operations, a significant explosion occurred inside the building, causing a partial floor collapse and increasing smoke conditions in the area. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Firefighters had already been evacuated from the structure and were conducting defensive operations from a safe distance when the explosion occurred.

As a precaution, authorities ordered the evacuation of the immediate area surrounding the fire. Approximately 200 residences and 12 commercial properties were affected. Emergency officials also coordinated with the Clarkstown Central School District, as schools were in session at the time of the incident.

The evacuation remained in place for about one hour and twenty minutes before being lifted. Air quality monitoring conducted throughout the event determined that conditions were safe, and officials noted that air quality was never found to be hazardous. The evacuation was implemented out of an abundance of caution while testing was underway.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The incident drew a coordinated response from numerous fire departments, law enforcement agencies, EMS providers, and specialized response teams from across the region.