Fire Suppression System Trouble at Binghamton Gas Stations

Some vehicles and people have been getting unexpected powdery showers at Binghamton gas pumps this year.

Fire suppression systems have been activated several times at gas stations in the city in recent months.

The latest incident occurred Thursday afternoon at a Valero station in downtown Binghamton. It's not known what triggered the system to dump a white powder fire suppressant onto a Volkswagen Passat that was being fueled.

Binghamton police investigated a fire suppression system issue at a Court Street convenience store on September 10, 2026. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Police officers and firefighters were dispatched to the small convenience store at 210 Court Street around 12:50 p.m. to investigate what had been described as a "small explosion."

When emergency crews arrived, they discovered there had been no explosion but a car at a gas pump was covered in white powder.

Binghamton firefighters were called to the convenience store at Court and Stuyvesant streets on September 10, 2026. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Authorities said this was the fourth incident involving an activated fire suppression system in Binghamton this year.

A similar situation occurred July 28 at a Mirabito convenience store on Broad Avenue on the city's East Side.

That gas station was closed for a few hours while workers cleaned up a powdery mess around the pumps.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A fire suppressant powder covered a car at a Valero gas station in downtown Binghamton on September 10, 2026.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com.

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