The Oak Bluffs Fire Department responded to a reported explosion at an Oak Bluffs scrapyard Wednesday evening, where officials say numerous vehicles, including buses and trailers, had caught fire.
At 9:08 pm, firefighters were dispatched to the JWL property, abutting Pennsylvania Avenue and County Road in Oak Bluffs. Mutual aid came from Tisbury and Edgartown fire departments, and both assisted in extinguishing a blaze that had burned through two buses, multiple junked vehicles, and trailers, officials say.
The scene was cleared roughly three hours later.
There were no injuries associated with the fire. The cause is still undetermined, and is currently under investigation.
As the Islands’ fire departments are mainly volunteers, and due to the holiday season, Wirtz said the department, already struggling with staffing, quickly anticipated calling in additional resources. “We knew we were going to have an extended operation, and we were going to need manpower,” he said.
“The multi-departmental training that we do throughout the Island has been invaluable in the efficiency of our mutual aid companies that have come in,” he added. “They fit seamlessly into our operation to get the job done. It’s a fantastic partnership.”
You are all AWESOME!
Thank you for being there!!
People are worried about PFAs but we got literal junkyards burning in the middle of town. Bizarro world
You have done easy part, you have identified the problem.
Now do the hard part, identify the junk solution, and associated costs.
Does James Holenko produce junk? Where does he put it?
Unfortunately there are many homeless people living in and around the lot. I’ve seen it myself. I’m so glad this didn’t get worse than it was! So many families and their homes would have been in jeopardy. Thank you to all the down island FDs! We are right on Pennsylvania where all the emergency vehicles were operating out of. I knew we were safe when I could see them all from my front yard!
Were any toxic chemicals released?
JWL should be forced to cease operations until the investigation is complete
It’s a fire involving multiple cars so yeah I’m gonna say toxic chemicals were released
Many thanks to all.
It seems pretty clear, spaces in those large vehicles were being rented out , as a sort of campsite from hell. For those willing to put up with the surrounding landscape.
Their propane heater and cooking caught fire.
I would be investigating the interiors of those vehicles.
I just hope that our Island friends and Community are thankful that no one was hurt and beyond. I was there. This is my family. We were all put into an extremely horrific, life-threatening situation, as well as the many surrounding neighborhoods. We thank each and every firefighter and every person that had their boots on the ground.
Thank you to the commenters. I would never had know from reading the actual article that there was a junk yard homeless camp environmental disaster being tolerated right across from President Obama and President Clinton’s favorite golf course on the island. I will be sure to add this as a stop on my twisted tour of the island I give my liberal fantasy land visitors every summer.
Everywhere needs a towing company, but a simple look-see at google maps satellite view shows that this location is much bigger and more full that our sleepy island needs for a tow yard. This fire should clearly be a wake up call for the neighbors and the town to request that this site be cleaned up and better utilized. I am confident that there are numerous people on the island that know how to sing the ‘precious natural resources and aquifer’ song well enough to see that this site gets remediated soon. It’s amazing what a looming disaster a few trees can hide.
You live here and didn’t know about this junkyard? Hard to believe.
How would I know about it without trespassing or being homeless myself?
I don’t go to junkyards to sleep in my car. I prefer street ends with a view of the water.
I also take good care of my 17 year old car and don’t see it getting towed very often.
So I disagree that it is “hard to believe” and am surprised you think so.
You are calling “liberal fantasy land visitors” ?
Would they happen to be similar to the conservative fantasy land visitors” who still cling to the deluded belief (after drinking their daily dose of MAGA koolaide) that there was election fraud?
I don’t think that you or anyone else can state with a straight face that conservatives come to MV for a “conservative fantasy land”. It’s quite the contrary, actually.
No one said anything about “MAGA cool aid” or “election fraud”. In fact, you brought it up and it is unclear why you did. Turn the TV off, put down the joint you are smoking and get out into real world.
Has the town ever tested the soil there ?
I would think it would be full of all sorts
of petroleum based contaminants from
leaky gas tanks and engines as well as
antifreeze and who knows what. Think
tires, batteries, chipping paint etc.
I took Bill’s advice and looked at it
on Google earth. Pretty bad–
Don, are you new to the island?