Joseph Wilkinson
New York Daily News
(TNS)
A house exploded late Monday night in Westfield, N.J., startling neighbors but appearing to cause no deaths or injuries.
The home about 20 miles west of Manhattan was essentially vacant, neighbors told WPIX. Authorities said it appeared no one was inside when the house blew up.
The explosion rattled the neighborhood around 10:30 p.m., with residents pouring out of their homes to see what the commotion was all about.
“It all started out when we just heard a big boom,” Colby Shovlin told News 12 New Jersey. “And we came outside to check it out, and we ended up seeing a little fire before the fire department got there. But then the fire ended up blowing up a lot.”
The house was largely unoccupied for the past 15 years, neighbors told WABC. It had previously been owned by an elderly couple, who reportedly passed it to their son. However, the son did not maintain the property.
Exactly what caused the explosion remains under investigation. Several neighboring homes were evacuated as a precaution, according to NJ.com. Power lines and trees in the area also ignited due to the explosion.
Earlier this year, three different structures exploded in New Jersey within about a week, killing two people and injuring another man. None of those incidents were connected, according to authorities.
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