VIDEO: A massive fire early Thursday consumed 613 Automotive, a used car dealership at the south end of the village that was being used as the staging area and a set for the filming of an HBO miniseries. Ellenville Police Chief Phil Mattracion said the cause of the 1 a.m. fire at 188 S. Main St. (U.S. Route 209) remained under investigation, but village Mayor Jeff Kaplan put the blame squarely on the HBO operation.
Kaplan said Thursday afternoon that equipment left at the site "caused a spark," which ignited flammable materials on the set. "Once it started, it was minutes before the whole building was in flames," he said.
The mayor said HBO had "refabbed" the entire structure for use as a set for the miniseries, called "I Know This Much is True."
"They made it into a 1950s-1960s dealership, and something they did there caused the fire," Kaplan said.
Mattracion said only that there was no indication of arson, but “it’s still a fresh scene."
There were no injuries, he said.