By Gary Dymski
Newsday
LONG ISLAND, New York — An electrical problem with one of the vehicles most likely caused three ambulances parked at a company lot in Inwood to catch fire early Friday, a fire official said.
Guy Marino, first assistant chief of the Inwood Fire Department, said firefighters responded to a call for a fire at 455 Bayview Ave. shortly after 3:30 a.m.
When firefighters arrived they found three ambulances at the First Response Ambulance company’s lot “fully involved,” Marino said.
“Investigators seem to think an electrical issue on one of the vehicles started the fire and caused the other ambulances to catch fire,” Marino said.
No one was injured, Marino said, but firefighters were cautious because of highly flammable oxygen tanks on each of the ambulances.
Three of those tanks exploded, he said, taking off the roofs of each of the vehicles.
Other than the oxygen tanks, Marino called the fires “routine.”
Sam Mezrahi, identified as the owner of First Response Ambulance by News 12 Long Island, told the station that three ambulances were “fully damaged” and two others minimally damaged.
He said the company operates about 28 ambulances.