WATCH: Doorbell camera captures Illinois garbage truck explosion
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (WGN-TV) — Residents of an Arlington Heights, Illinois, neighborhood are picking up the pieces on Friday night after a garbage truck exploded and caught fire, damaging several homes.
According to Arlington Heights police, at around 4 p.m., officers and fire crews responded to a report that a garbage truck, operated by Groot Waste Management, caught fire near the intersection of North Dryden Avenue and Euclid Avenue in Arlington Heights.
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Crews arrived and began assessing the scene, but officers said that was when part of the truck exploded.
Officers said the vehicle was powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), and officials believe that one of the tanks exploded during the fire.
During the blast, two police officers and one firefighter were injured by flying debris and post-blast concussion.
Authorities described the explosion as “significant” and said truck parts were launched into the air, landing several blocks away.
A shockwave also reportedly caused property damage in the surrounding area. The windows of nearby homes were shattered and sections of roof and siding were blown off.
The blast also shattered the windshield of a fire engine that was on the scene and the airbags in a squad car that was parked next to the engine deployed.
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SkyCam 9 was over the scene around 5 p.m. when two ladder trucks could be seen spraying water on the badly damaged truck.
According to authorities, forensic technicians documented the scene using digital and drone photography.
Video captured by Luca and Leo Garanzini’s doorbell camera shows the moment the garbage truck exploded in suburban Arlington Heights.
Crews from Groot Waste Management also responded to the scene and cleaned up any residual debris.
The badly damaged garbage truck was pulled from the scene by a wrecker around 7:15 p.m.
It is currently unclear what sparked the initial fire.
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