What to Know
- Three people were injured after a house exploded in Brooklyn, acccording to FDNY
- A resident of the home was cleaning up paint with gasoline in the basement when the explosion happened
- Falling debris after the explosion injured two neighbors at an adjoining house. Officials are investigating what may have sparked the blast
Three people were injured after a house exploded in Brooklyn, acccording to FDNY.
A call about the blast at the home near Friel Place and East 8th Street in Kensington came in around 1:30 p.m. Monday.
A resident of the home was cleaning up paint with gasoline in the basement when the explosion happened, leaving him with serious burns on more than 20 percent of his body, according to a law enforcement source. Falling debris after the explosion injured two neighbors at an adjoining house.
According to FDNY, three people were injured as a result of the explosion. The most serious of the injuries was the man painting in the basement, who officials said sustained burns on his face and legs.
Chopper 4 showed a huge FDNY presence at the scene, smoke billowing around the dozens of firefighters who stood on the roof and the ground. Debris filled an alley to the right of the home, the side of which appeared completely blown out along with windows and doors.
The Department of Buildings is currently investigating. However, a preliminary investigation by the DOB determined that the building is no longer structurally stable and is danger of collapse, the department said, adding that it has ordered "an immediate emergency declaration for demolition of the building, to ensure the safety of the public."
Two families of neighboring homes were displaced as a result of the blast.
Fire officials are still not sure what sparked the explosion.
