‘It blew the roof off’: 6 firefighters injured after New Jersey home explodes

POMPTON LAKES, N.J. — Six firefighters were injured when an explosion occurred that “blew the roof off” a New Jersey home early Saturday, authorities said.

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Two of the firefighters were taken to an area hospital after the explosion, which occurred at about 2:04 a.m. EST in Pompton Lakes, NJ.com reported.

The firefighters belonged to the Pompton Lakes Fire Department, a volunteer organization in Passaic County, according to the website. They were responding to a call about smoke coming from a residential area, according to a statement posted on the fire department’s Facebook page.

A team of three firefighters entered the home and went to the basement, according to NorthJersey.com. Another team of two went followed them, along with the department’s assistant chief, the website reported.

Pompton Lakes fire official John Keating said the building exploded within a minute.

Mayor Michael Serra told NJ.com that the explosion “blew the roof right off.”

Miraculously, the injuries were minor. None of the six firefighters suffered life-threatening injuries and the two who were hospitalized were later released, NJ.com reported. The other four were treated at the scene, Keating said.

“I thought we were going to have six fatalities, I really did,” Pompton Lakes Fire Chief Jason Ekkers told NorthJersey.com. “They managed to climb out of the basement with compromised stairs. They all helped each other out, they came out one at a time and we were at the back door, just feeding them out.”

“Every day our volunteer organizations put their life on the line for Pompton Lakes,” Mayor Michael Serra told NJ.com.

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