Montauk Highway in Oakdale reopens after storage building fire, officials say

A storage building fire in Oakdale closed Montauk Highway for several hours during Tuesday's morning rush hour, fire and police officials said.

The fire at the rear of Oakdale Paint & Hardware at 1460 Montauk Hwy. was reported at 4:09 a.m., and the eastbound lanes of Montauk Highway were closed shortly after, officials said.

Police said Montauk Highway was closed in both directions between Vanderbilt Boulevard and Lincoln Drive around 5 a.m.

At 9 a.m., a police spokeswoman said the road had been reopened; fire officials said the fire had been extinguished and that firefighters had left the scene.

Suffolk County police's arson squad is investigating.

One firefighter was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore with respiratory problems, a fire spokesman said.

A man who identified himself as the hardware store's owner said Tuesday afternoon that the store was opened for business. He declined further comment.

With Laura Blasey