Wooden pylons catch fire under Tappan Zee Bridge

Firefighters were called to the old Tappan Zee Bridge Tuesday morning after wood pilings used to shield the bridge from ice caught fire.

State police and several local fire departments were called to the scene shortly after 5:25 a.m., after reports that one of the bundles of wooden poles driven into the water near the old bridge's supports was on fire.

Central Nyack fire chief Robert Moger said the fire, about a half-mile from the Rockland shore, was extinguished in 20 to 30 minutes. Tappan Zee Constructors, the contractors building the new bridge and demolishing the old one, said one of their tugs put out the fire.

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The Tarrytown and Piermont fire departments also responded, along with the Rockland County Sheriff's Department.

Police said the incident did not affect Westchester-bound traffic on the old span.

Both first responders and the Tappan Zee Constructors said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

"This incident had no impact on bridge operations and posed no danger to the public or the environment," Damien LaVera, spokesman for Tappan zee Constructors, said in a statement.

With Westchester-bound traffic set to shift off the old bridge and on to the new one in the overnight hours Friday and Saturday, crews had begun removing the bundles in the first steps toward demolition.

Once traffic is moved off the bridge, Tappan Zee Constructors will begin taking apart the bridge piece by piece, while finishing off the new, $3.9 billion Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

Twitter: @MattSpillane, @coynereports