A vehicle was up in flames on a quiet Upper West Side block on Tuesday night, filling the surrounding area with thick, foul-smelling smoke, while a second vehicle nearby appeared to have been ransacked.
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An ILTUWS reader flagged the scene on West 82nd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, describing a “horrible toxic fume smell” that carried as far as a block away. The tipster, who reached out to us on Wednesday afternoon, warned that pregnant women in particular should steer clear of the area while the fumes dissipated.
The FDNY confirmed to ILTUWS that it received a call on Tuesday at 9:31 p.m. reporting a vehicle on fire at 17 West 82nd Street. One engine company and one ladder company responded. The incident was closed at 10:14 p.m., according to the FDNY, which had no additional information to share.
The scene was also documented on Citizen, where neighbors shared updates as the response unfolded.
We also reached out to the NYPD but they didn’t have any information they could share about the incident.
Following our initial report, another ILTUWS reader reached out to tell us he saw the incident unfold as he was walking his dog, and says it was initially a trash fire that spread to the car.
A Tuesday night trash fire on 82nd between CPW and Columbus. It appears to have spread to a car which it swiftly burnt to a crisp. pic.twitter.com/ILWSB3xm5e
— I Love The Upper West Side (@iLoveTheUWS) April 23, 2026
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