Gas sparked an explosion at a New Jersey home on Thursday evening, injuring a woman and damaging the home, officials said.
The force of the explosion blew out a bay window frame and the garage door of the home on Martha Avenue in Elmwood Park. Debris littered the yard afterwards.
Officials said a resident called about a smell of gas just after 7 p.m. A short time later, neighbors heard the blast.
"I've been here 40 years, never had this much excitement," neighbor John DiPasquale said.
Authorities believe a leaky gas stove on the first floor of the home exploded, according to Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno.
A mother who lives in the home suffered second-degree burns to her face and hand, Foligno said. She was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson. A man and two children who were in the house at the time were not injured.
When firefighters arrived they smelled gas and quickly evacuated nearby homes. Dominic Nicolosi was among those evacuated.
Local
"Scared, you know, this is very scary," Nicolosi said. "Thinking about what could happen to us, what could happen to somebody else."
PSE&G were able to shut off the gas and were investigating Thursday night.
Authorities don’t believe the explosion is suspicious, although the exact cause has not been determined.
