Current:Home > NewsCar explosion damages homes and vehicles in Queens, New York: Video captures blaze -AssetScope
Car explosion damages homes and vehicles in Queens, New York: Video captures blaze
View
Date:2025-04-13 08:33:46
Five houses and five vehicles were damaged during an explosive fire that erupted early Friday morning in Queens, New York, officials said. No injuries were reported.
Around 6:47 a.m. on Friday, the Queens Fire Alarm Dispatch began to receive multiple calls of a car fire in southern Queens. Upon arrival, responders found a car that was involved in a fire. In a cautious approach, staff fell back, New York City Fire Department Deputy Chief George Healy said in a briefing on Friday.
The NYC Fire Department worked with the Fire Marshal's Office, New York Police Department Bomb Squad, and New York Police Department Arson and Explosion Squad to determine that pressurized gas cylinders inside the vehicle had caused the explosion, Healy said. It appeared that the vehicle was being used for construction.
There were also lithium-ion batteries in the vehicle. Though they were not comprised, Healy said the Fire Department's HazMat Unit safely packaged them.
Video shows flames erupting from car
"There is some discussion that the owner of the vehicle was activating perhaps the auto start that could have been the ignition source there," Healy said during the briefing. "There needs to be an ignition source, but that will be a part of the ongoing investigation."
Healy said it appears that none of the homes affected by the fire sustained structural damages and that residences will soon be cleared to re-enter.
The explosion remains under investigation.
Who owned the vehicle?
Several outlets, including New York Daily News and ABC7 New York, are reporting that the car belonged to a plumber named Dinell Harricharan, who stored natural gas and acetylene tanks in the vehicle.
Harricharan said his 2011 Infiniti has a sensitive alarm system that could have been triggered by another car passing by, sparking the explosion, according to ABC7 New York.
Operating under a family business, Harricharan said the explosion is a devastating loss, as the vehicle will need to be replaced and all of his tools were stored in the car.
USA TODAY contacted a Dinell Harricharan on social media but did not immediately receive a response.
What are pressurized gas cylinders used for?
A pressurized gas cylinder, or gas bottle, is a metal vessel used to store gases at high pressure, such as nitrogen, helium, oxygen and carbon dioxide.
How should gas cylinders be stored?
"Especially with gas cylinders and acetylene cylinders, they have to be stored upright," Healy said during his briefing on Friday. "They can't be stored on their side, so that would be things that are being looked at. Especially people in the industry should be very well aware of the safety procedures and best practices to make sure that equipment is being utilized properly and safely."
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].
veryGood! (12)
Related
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Ravaged by Drought, a Honduran Village Faces a Choice: Pray for Rain or Migrate
- This Week in Clean Economy: New Report Puts Solyndra Media Coverage in Spotlight
- GOP Fails to Kill Methane Rule in a Capitol Hill Defeat for Oil and Gas Industry
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Volunteer pilots fly patients seeking abortions to states where it's legal
- A new Arkansas law allows an anti-abortion monument at the state Capitol
- FDA gives 2nd safety nod to cultivated meat, produced without slaughtering animals
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Vehicle-to-Grid Charging for Electric Cars Gets Lift from Major U.S. Utility
Ranking
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Nicky Hilton Shares Advice She Gave Sister Paris Hilton On Her First Year of Motherhood
- Global Warming Pushes Microbes into Damaging Climate Feedback Loops
- Volunteer pilots fly patients seeking abortions to states where it's legal
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- Joe Biden Must Convince Climate Voters He’s a True Believer
- You asked: Can we catch a new virus from a pet? A cat-loving researcher has an answer
- Opioids are devastating Cherokee families. The tribe has a $100 million plan to heal
Recommendation
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Ranking Oil Companies by Climate Risk: Exxon Is Near the Top
NFL Legend Jim Brown Dead at 87
The simple intervention that may keep Black moms healthier
Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
Megan Fox Rocks Sheer Look at Sports Illustrated Event With Machine Gun Kelly
The happiest country in the world wants to fly you in for a free masterclass
Kourtney Kardashian announces pregnancy with sign at husband Travis Barker's concert