Expired hand sanitizer leak at Gorham warehouse sparks ditch blaze, renews environmental concerns

An expired hand sanitizer leak from a warehouse in Gorham, in New York’s Finger Lakes region, ignited a stream of fire along a roadside ditch on Aug. 30, local reports said, producing a blaze that took firefighters several days to extinguish and renewed scrutiny of the facility’s handling of combustible materials.

The incident at Eco Operations, a warehouse owned by Eduard Zaydman, began when containers of expired alcohol-based hand sanitizer apparently began to leak and flow toward a nearby ditch, where the escaped product caught fire. Local media accounts described flames running along the ditch and firefighters working to bring the blaze under control over multiple days.

The facility has been the subject of ongoing complaints and regulatory attention. Town officials reported multiple violations and notified the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in July to initiate removal action at the site, according to municipal records and local reporting. Neighbors and town leaders had previously raised alarms about the quantity and storage of alcohol-based products at the warehouse.

At a Gorham Planning Board meeting in May, owner Eduard Zaydman told planners that the stock at the site posed little danger, saying, "There is no danger. It is not really flammable because it’s 30% water. It is very difficult to light that up." In June, Town Chairman Thomas Harvey warned residents and officials of the risks posed by material stored at the facility, saying, "There is so much stuff in there and it’s alcohol and it burns. It’s not probably explosive, but it will burn and if it catches on fire there is basically no way to put it out other than starving it from oxygen. There is enough quantity in that building that once it starts to go, it’s going to go," local NBC affiliate WHEC reported.

Officials have said the July notification to the EPA sought removal action related to the facility’s storage and disposal practices. The Aug. 30 leak and subsequent fire prompted additional response from local emergency crews and intensified questions about potential contamination of nearby soils, ditches and waterways, as alcohol-based products and combustion byproducts can affect water quality and pose air-quality concerns.

Firefighting sources reported that alcohol fires can be difficult to extinguish because alcohol can mix with water and spread, potentially requiring foam or other suppression methods and measures to prevent runoff. Local officials did not immediately release details about the firefighting tactics used or whether specialized suppression agents were deployed in this incident.

The warehouse’s regulatory history includes municipal citations and complaints from residents who have alleged improper storage and accumulation of materials. Town records and statements from local leaders indicate those concerns prompted the town’s July communication with the EPA. The agency and town officials have not released a full public account of any ongoing federal or state enforcement actions tied to the site.

The episode underscores broader challenges for communities that received large volumes of alcohol-based products during the COVID-19 pandemic and afterward, including questions about disposal of expired products, safe storage of flammable liquids, and oversight of facilities that consolidate consumer goods. Proper management of expired chemical and alcohol-based waste is governed by state and federal environmental regulations aimed at preventing fires, spills and contamination.

Local officials said investigations into both the cause of the leak and the environmental effects of the fire are underway. The town has cited previous violations and engaged the EPA on removal action, and the recent blaze is likely to be examined as part of those ongoing inquiries. Authorities have advised residents to avoid the immediate area while emergency and environmental response teams complete their assessments.