A 34-year-old Mineola man is facing arson and reckless endangerment charges after authorities say he threw a violently reacting chemical mixture into his apartment building hallway, igniting a fire that damaged the floor and hallway and forced residents out of their homes overnight.
According to CBS News, police and fire crews were called to 125 Lincoln Ave. in Mineola just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday for a fire in the third-floor hallway. A separate account from Daily Voice gave the response time as 2:38 a.m. that same morning, a discrepancy that hasn't been resolved in the available reporting. Daily Voice reports that Nolan Gaugler was conducting an “unknown chemistry experiment” inside apartment B3C when the mixture reacted violently, then carried it into the hallway and threw it, sparking the blaze.
Investigators Uncover a Hidden Chemical Setup
Once firefighters got the flames under control, the scope of what was inside Gaugler's apartment became clear. Officers discovered a large quantity of chemicals and laboratory equipment inside the unit, the Daily Voice report notes, and some of the mixtures were determined to be unstable and explosive. Fire officials told CBS News they found a homemade ventilation system, gas masks, and a large quantity of chemicals, including flammable materials, acids and substances that can react with water.
The danger prompted a specialized response. Fire officials said some of the materials were so unstable that hazmat crews had to remove them, while the bomb squad detonated others, according to the same CBS News account. Fire officials assessed the level of danger as moderate to high, noting that Gaugler appeared to be working on at least four different chemical processes at once. Residents of the building were temporarily evacuated during the fire, the station reports.
Chemicals Were Legally Purchased, Authorities Say
Despite the volatile nature of what was found, ABC7 New York reports that all of the chemicals were legally purchased, according to authorities, and have since been removed from the residence. CBS News also noted that officials said Gaugler was already on parole for burglary and robbery at the time of the fire.
Gaugler was arrested and charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, fourth-degree arson, and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, per the Daily Voice report. Accounts of his court appearance differ slightly: CBS News reported that he was arraigned Monday, pleaded not guilty, and was released with an ankle monitor, while Daily Voice had earlier reported he was scheduled to be arraigned that Monday at First District Court in Hempstead. CBS News reported that the arraignment and not-guilty plea took place this week, though neither the precise cause of the chemical reaction nor the intended purpose of the experiment has been disclosed.
