Ellenville, NY Residents Sue HBO for On Set Fire
Residents of one Ulster County town are taking HBO to court.
The Hudson Valley has become a hotspot for film and television production companies in recent years. A handful of shows, some of which were nominated for big awards, were filmed in and around the mid-Hudson region.
One of the more popular limited series filmed in the region was HBO's I Know This Much is True starring Mark Ruffalo. The series was filmed in Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties throughout 2019.
However, during one point of filming in Ellenville, a massive fire destroyed the 613 Automotive Group on South Main Street. Now, according to TMZ Ellenville residents are suing HBO and Mark Ruffalo, who was a producer on the series, over the fire.
TMZ has obtained a copy of the lawsuit which claims that residents who live near by the fire site have left them exposed "to harmful toxins and carcinogens, and damaged their homes." Residents also claim that HBO hasn't done much to clean up the site leaving "uncovered and unabated debris pile, toxin spill and wind-driven dust and gaseous dispersion" at the South Main Street location.
At the time of the 2019 fire, there was no clear cut explanation for what sparked the flames, however, TMZ writes:
The neighbors say HBO and Mark, who also serves as an executive producer are to blame for the fire ... claiming the film set was a powder keg due to kerosene, heating oil and other flammable materials being stored at the filming location.
TMZ also adds that the Ellenville community behind the lawsuit "suffered and continue to suffer physical and emotional injuries." They are seeking several million dollars in damages. HBO and Mark Ruffalo have yet to make a public comment about the lawsuit.
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