The incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. and the station reopened a few hours later.
WEST SPRINGFIELD – No injuries were reported Tuesday afternoon when a defective sensor set off the fire suppression system at the Pride station on Route 5.
The incident, which was reported shortly after 3 p.m., sent a large cloud of fire suppression agent into the air. The cloud, caught in a southbound breeze, temporarily slowed traffic on Interstate 91 as it streamed across the lanes.
Fire Deputy Chief Louis Lamothe said the fire department temporarily shut down the Riverdale Street station until the fire suppression system could be re-certified. A clean-up crew was soon on the scene, he said.
Robert L. Bolduc, president of Pride Stations and Stores, said the station was able to reopen several hours later. Bolduc said the system was tripped by a defective sensor.