ELLENVILLE – Fire investigators' preliminary findings indicate HBO’s equipment may have caused the fire that leveled an Ellenville used car dealership where an HBO TV miniseries was being filmed on Thursday, the village’s mayor said on Friday. Mayor Jeff Kaplan said early findings appear to show that one of HBO’s battery-charging stations, used for on-set equipment, caused the fire. The blaze tore through 613 Automotive Group at 188 South Main St. The miniseries, “I Know This Much Is True,” is slated for a 2020 release, and it stars Mark Ruffalo, Melissa Leo, Juliette Lewis, Rosie O’Donnell and other notables, according to the Internet Movie Database. A security guard hired by HBO called 911 after spotting the fire break out just before 1 a.m. Thursday, leading 15 Orange, Ulster and Sullivan county fire departments to respond to what quickly became a raging inferno. They battled it for hours. “There is an ongoing investigation as to what caused (the fire),” Kaplan said. “The preliminary report is that some mechanism that was being used in the filming overheated and sparked, and that’s what caused the flame.” The spark came from “something that was plugged into something like a charging station for some of their battery cells for outside, but that’s not a final determination,” Kaplan added. Efforts were unsuccessful on Friday to reach the Ulster County Division of Fire Investigation to confirm Kaplan's account. Kaplan said he’s been conferring with Village of Ellenville leaders, including the police chief and the building inspector. In a statement on Friday, HBO’s spokespeople said, “The cause of the fire is still unknown and is under investigation.” “We have temporarily suspended production and we expect to resume shortly,” they added. “Once the production is up and running, one of the locations we plan to shoot at is a local hospital.” Ellenville Police Chief Phillip Mattracion declined to confirm Kaplan’s account or offer a preliminary explanation for the fire. The chief said only that he’s waiting on the county’s fire investigators “to see what the final determination is,” and that he’s unsure how long the investigation will take. Thursday’s massive fire destroyed the 10,650-square-foot steel-framed, cinder-block auto dealership building, which featured a showroom, a repair garage and storage for autos and parts. Plus, the blaze took out at least 15 antique cars, Mattracion said, before adding that was just rough, low-end count. The cars were on site because HBO had solicited them from locals as props for scenes set in the past. A small, undetermined number of the dealership's vehicles also were lost. The site first became Collier’s car dealership in 1965 before closing in 2009. 613 Automotive Group, a local used auto dealership chain, bought and reopened it around 2013. daxelrod@th-record.com<doc-sep>A massive fire engulfed the set of an HBO miniseries being filmed in Ulster County, New York. The three-alarm blaze broke out at 613 Automotive Group in Ellenville, N.Y., at approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday, the Hudson Valley Post reported. Odom.TV captured video of the fire. "I Know This Much Is True," starring Mark Ruffalo and Melissa Leo, was using the car dealership as a set. MARK RUFFALO, MICHAEL MOORE STRATEGIZING FOR 2020 'BLUE DELUGE' No injuries have been reported, but several antique cars may have been damaged in the fire. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. "Avengers" star Ruffalo, who lives in the area, is an executive producer on the project and stars as twin brothers in the upcoming series, which is set for a 2020 air date. Melissa Leo, Juliette Lewis and Rosie O'Donnell are also slated to appear in the drama, based on a novel by Wally Lamb. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Reps for Ruffalo and HBO did not immediately return Fox News' requests for comment.<doc-sep>Officials are investigating the cause of a fire in Ulster County, New York, that destroyed a filming location for an HBO series starring Mark Ruffalo. Ellenville Police Chief Philip Mattracion told the USA TODAY Network that a car dealership used in filming HBO's "I Know This Much Is True" was lost in the fire. Film equipment and 20 vintage cars used in the production were destroyed, according to a press release issued by the police department. There were no injuries. Officers and firefighters responded to the blaze at 12:58 a.m. Thursday, according to the press release. The fire was put out at about 10 a.m. Chris Busby, general manager at the 613 Automotive Group dealership, said the business was "a total loss." "There's nothing left," he said. "It's a huge loss for us and HBO. They are just as heartbroken over this as we are." "We have temporarily suspended production and we expect to resume shortly,” HBO said in a statement. Filming for “I Know This Much Is True” has taken place in Poughkeepsie and elsewhere in the area, with production set to conclude in September. Set for release in 2020, “I Know This Much Is True” is an adaptation of the 1998 Wally Lamb novel. HBO describes the series as a family saga following the parallel lives of identical twin brothers portrayed by Ruffalo. The six-episode limited series also stars Melissa Leo, Kathryn Hahn, Rosie O’Donnell and Juliette Lewis.<doc-sep>
A fire destroyed a Hudson Valley auto dealership where HBO is filming a series starring “Avengers: Endgame" star Mark Ruffalo on Thursday morning. According to the Hudson Valley Post, roads had been closed by the Ellenville Police Department around the 613 Automotive Group in Ellenville for filming beginning at 1 a.m. on Thursday. Odom.TV shared a video of the massive blaze on Facebook: 2019-05-09 - Massive 3 ALRM Structure Fire on Movie Set/Auto Dealership in Ellenville, NY Type: Fire Description: On Thursday, May 9, 2019, around 1:00 am, a 3 alarm structure fire broke out at 613 Automotive in Ellenville, NY. This auto dealership was being used as a set for an upcoming HBO film. It is unclear as to what caused the fire. We will update this as the story progresses. Responding agencies include the Ellenville Fire Department, Napanoch Fire Department, Ghramsville Fire Department, the New York State Police, Ellenville Police Department, and several other state and local agencies. Location: 188 S Main St, Ellenville, NY 12428 Injuries: N/A Deaths: N/A Time: 1:00 am EST. HIPAA and the News Media: The law does not directly apply to the news media (unless a media employer acts as a health plan or healthcare provider – by offering onsite medical care, for example; or a reporter works for a publication that is covered – such as a hospital newsletter). (Source: PA News Media) Video Licensing: By purchasing any video license from Odom.TV you agree to acknowledge Odom.TV by placing a watermark on all videos you publish. You MUST place this watermark on all video licenses you purchase unless gaining explicit permission from an Odom.TV staff member. Image Licensing: You are NOT required to acknowledge Odom.TV if you purchase an image license. If you do so choose to acknowledge Odom.TV you may. NOTE: MOST VIDEOS COME WITH WATERMARKS ALREADY ON THEM Posted by Odom.TV on Thursday, May 9, 2019 The fire caused traffic delays in Ulster County on Thursday morning, but no injuries were reported. It was unclear what caused the fire, according to the Post. The dealership is a set for “I Know This Much is True,” an upcoming HBO series starring Ruffalo, who plays twin brothers. The series has been filming all over the Hudson valley. It also stars Melissa Leo, Archie Panjabi, Imogen Poots, Juliette Lewis and Rosie O’Donnell. ABC 7 reports that some antique cars were at the dealership at the time of the fire.