Repair lot fire closes road for hours

A fast-moving fire in an diesel engine repair lot caused explosions and a domino effect that eventually engulfed five buses in flames and closed Veterans Highway in Ronkonkoma for nearly three hours Tuesday night.

More than 60 fire personnel in five engines and four other apparatus responded to the 6 p.m. call of a bus on fire at 3025 Veterans Hwy., occupied by Atlantic Detroit Diesel-Allison, a company that builds diesel engines.

"It was a fuel-fed fire, so it was tough," Assistant Chief Joesph Trzepizur of the Lakeland Fire Department said. "Those buses lit up pretty quickly."

The buses were unoccupied. Two were school buses and three were transit buses. There were no injuries. The fire occurred after business hours so the company was closed, Trzepizur said.

The fire did not threaten any nearby buildings or structures, although several loud explosions were heard, Trzepizur.

In addition to Lakeland, firefighters from the Central Islip and Bohemia fire departments and a Hazmat team from the Town of Islip responded.

The fire is still under investigation.