MILLERTON — As many as six are displaced from their homes due to uncertainty over the safety of the furnace after fumes from a gas-fired deep fryer filled an apartment building on South Elm Street.
Millerton Fire Chief Keith Roger said residents of 5873-5875 S. Elm St. operated a fryer indoors with no ventilation, potentially causing much of the exposure, but the propane furnace may have also contributed. No damage to the building was reported, but three people were treated for carbon monoxide exposure at Sharon Hospital.
Roger said the investigation was turned over to the Village of Millerton building inspector, who deemed the duplex apartment building an unsafe structure until the furnace can be inspected and approved.
Paramedics with Empress EMS march through the snow toward Millerton firefighters on Monday, Feb. 9.Photo by Nathan Miller
Crews from the Millerton Fire Department, Amenia Fire Department, Empress EMS and the New York State Police responded to the call. The building was evacuated and ventilation of the dangerous gas had started when Amenia fire crews arrived on the scene around 2:45 p.m.
Carbon monoxide concentration reached as high as 180 parts per million on the second floor of the building, Roger said. Carbon monoxide exposure starts to become dangerous between 35 and 100 ppm, with concentrations of 200 ppm causing nausea, headaches and dizziness.
Roger said two people had already been transported to Sharon Hospital when first responders arrived. Crews discovered a third person showing signs of exposure during evacuation. No other injuries were reported.
New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey buys two books from Oblong Books in Millerton on Thursday, April 23, after inducting the business into the state Historic Business Preservation Registry.
Hermans and Nelson opened Oblong Books in 1975 after graduating from college, finding a home for their bookstore at 32 Main St. Multiple relocations and more than 200 employees later, the business remains a fixture in Millerton.
“We’ve been through thick and thin,” said Dick Hermans. “I think we’ve been successful because we stay involved in the community.”
Employees of Oblong Books and local Town of North East and Village of Millerton officials gathered with State Senator Michell Hinchey on Thursday, April 23, to honor the bookstore’s placement on the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry.Photo Provided
The designation honors New York businesses that have operated for at least 50 years. Oblong is the first business from Millerton to receive the honor. “Oblong has stood the test of time, even in the age of e-commerce,” Hinchey said. “It has remained authentically true to its mission of human connection.”
In 2001, Hermans opened a second store in Rhinebeck. Hermans’ daughter Suzanna started working at Oblong shortly thereafter, helping the store navigate the newly-imperiled physical market.
“We thought that was going to be the death knell of books,” she said, “but it turns out a physical book is actually a perfect object. You can share it with a friend, or you can keep it for 50 years.”
The bookstore is known not only for its literary inventory, but also for author events, music selections and children’s toys.
The owners’ commitment to community also extends to the nonprofit world: since 2023, Oblong has partnered with the Beacon Prison Books project to provide free books to incarcerated individuals in the region.
E-books are now available on Oblong’s website, too. But the space has largely remained the same, with its weathered wooden floorboards and cozy nooks. There’s a section for music and records upstairs, and Oblong Jr. downstairs for younger readers and toy connoisseurs.
Next time visitors stop by, they will see something new: a window decal bearing the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry logo.
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