Bronx Fire and Explosion Injure Seven Firefighters
A flick of a cigarette may have triggered a massive explosion in the Bronx, sending a fireball into the night sky and injuring multiple firefighters.
How the Fire Started
Surveillance footage from Wednesday evening shows someone tossing a lit cigarette onto the sidewalk in the Longwood neighborhood. Strong winds appear to have blown the cigarette into a pile of garbage, igniting a fire that spread to several parked cars.
The Explosion and Response
Firefighters arrived quickly and began extinguishing the fire when an explosion occurred on Fox Street near Westchester Avenue. The blast sent a fireball several stories high.
The blast injured seven firefighters, causing burns to their hands and faces, but none of the injuries were life-threatening.
The injured firefighters were taken to Jacobi Hospital. Two of them were still recovering the following evening.
Aftermath and Community Impact
The explosion left charred debris along the street. At least one car was so badly burned it was unrecognizable and had to be towed away the next morning.
A woman told NBC New York the exploded car was hers. She lost two strollers and expensive car seats and is now figuring out alternative transportation for her and her two toddlers.
Local residents mentioned the trash causing the fire was not supposed to be on the street that day but had been left due to Election Day delays in garbage collection, which was postponed to Thursday.
Summary
The Bronx fire likely started from a tossed cigarette into delayed garbage, causing an explosion that injured seven firefighters and severely damaged property.
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