Smoke pours from northern NY solar farm battery blaze; governor says it 'may pose health risks'
CHAUMONT, N.Y. — A blaze that burned batteries at a northern New York solar farm prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul Thursday night to advise residents to avoid the smoke coming from the rural site near Lake Ontario.
WWNY-TV said the blaze began around 1 p.m. at a solar farm in Jefferson County, outside the village of Chaumont. It's about 78 miles (125 km) north of Syracuse and near the Canadian border.
Photos and video aired by the station show smoke shooting from a solar panel array and coursing over trees.
Hochul, in a statement, described the blaze as “a large battery fire” and said she was sending state fire and environmental officials to the site.
The Democrat said the fire had caused significant damage and was emitting "large amounts of smoke that may pose health risks.” She urged residents to heed public health officials and avoid exposure to the smoke or or any other toxins.
Emergency crews remained on the scene around 9 p.m. A message seeking more information was sent to the Jefferson County fire director.
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