WPCNR Police Gazette. November 17, 2004, UPDATED 4:15 P.M. E.S.T., UPDATED November 19, 2004, 4:30 P.M. E.S.T. : Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, Charles Jennings reported to WPCNR at 3:45 P.M. Wednesday that the fire at 189 Main Street has been estinguished. Main Street appeared to be  being reopened to traffic, Jim Benerofe reports, but as of 3:55 P.M. that the street was open again for traffic.  Jennings said there were no injuries to either tenants or fire fighters.

Inspector Daniel Jackson, speaking for the White Plains Department of Public Safety stated Friday, that fire department inspectors attributed the cause of the fire in the third floor offices was "unintentional," and caused by "careless smoking." Jackson noted to WPCNR that the closing of Main Street was "handled relatively well," thanks to changing the cycle of the traffic lights.

SCENE OF FIRE: 189 Main Street is the three-story structure next to the lower black building off the wingtip in the lower center of the picture. Bar Building is in upper right. Grace Church is in upper right of photo. Photo by WPCNR News.

Jennings said the fire broke out on the third floor of 189 Main Street, and the alarm came in at 2:25 P.M.. The building in question houses the check cashing service on the ground floor at 189 Main across from Macy's is in the heart of White Plains. Jennings reports the fire took about an half-hour to put out, and the cause is now under investigation. The Commissioner says damage was confined to four rooms on the third floor.

Fire Chief Richard Lyman, speaking to WPCNR at 4:10 P.M., said fast action by his men saved the building, a wood, brick and joist structure. and that water damage was very light. He said power was off on the first and second floors as a precaution, and that his men extinguished the fire in twenty minutes. Chief Lyman confirmed traffic was now flowing again on Main Street

Main Street was reported blocked off as of 2:45 P.M..

Jim Benerofe, of suburbanstreet.com, eyewitness on the scene moments ago (3 P.M.) reports the fire is in the check cashing building. He had not seen smoke, but the fire appeared to be within the building. He said they appeared to be fighting the fire on the roof, and from within the building. His guess was that the firemen have the incident under control, but he was not provided with any information from police or firefighters at the scene.

Benerofe reported all Eastbound traffic on Main Street was being detoured to Hamilton Avenue at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at the Galleria corner. Benerofe's estimate is the fire started approximately 2:30 P.M. Traffic is a mess, Benerofe reports.

No Commissioners, or city hall officials were available to report or provide the details of what was going on to the public, until an hour and 15 minutes after the fire began.