Caught on video: Pompton Lakes home explosion sends first responders for cover
By Christine Sloan
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POMPTON LAKES, New Jersey (WCBS) — Incredible video has been released of a house explosion in New Jersey. What’s even more amazing is firefighters inside the home walked away with just minor injuries, according to fire officials.
As police stood outside the Pompton Lakes home, the explosion went off inside the house on Ramapo Avenue with six firefighters inside.
Police body cameras captured the January blast as neighbors watched in horror.
“The house literally lifted off the foundation and came back down. It was like ‘The Wizard of Oz,'” neighbor Tracey Alvarez said.
Miraculously, the firefighters inside survived. All of them were volunteers.
Seconds before, footage shows one firefighter walking into the home from the porch.
“Two of them were blown out because they were right by the door. They got blown out the door into the driveway,” Pompton Lakes fire official John Keating said.
Officials said two firefighters, along with a lieutenant, were in the basement and the lieutenant helped them out.
Three other firefighters, they said, including an assistant chief, were on the first floor. Two were pulling a line into the home.
“It was the assistant chief and the two other guys who got blown out. Thankfully, they were in the right spot of the house,” Keating said.
Fire officials said what protected the firefighters was their gear.
“They have their full-time jobs. They have their families, and they give up their time to come to something like this. It’s really truly amazing,” Alvarez said.
Police officers initially responding to the house after seeing smoke.
Fire officials said the assistant fire chief had burns to his ears because his hood blew off. The lieutenant, they said, suffered third-degree burns to his hands.
But everyone was grateful, knowing the situation could have been much worse.
Fire officials told CBS2 the cause of the fire has still not been determined.
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