A terrifying incident occurred in the Bronx Wednesday night when a car exploded, injuring seven firefighters. Officials attribute the explosion to someone irresponsibly discarding a cigarette butt.
The fire department received a call around 7:06 p.m. about a garbage fire on a street between Intervale Avenue and Kelly Street in Longwood. While firefighters were responding, a parked car suddenly exploded, creating a massive fireball that illuminated the night sky.
Dramatic videos captured the flames and thick smoke rising high above the street.
All injured firefighters were taken to Jacobi Hospital for assessment. Several suffered serious burns on their arms and faces, according to reports.
Fire marshals determined that the explosion stemmed from “carelessly discarded cigarette butts,” which ignited a nearby trolley loaded with garbage bins. This, in turn, set off a chain reaction, and as flames spread to a parked car, it ignited the gas tank, resulting in a large explosion that was horrifying to witness.
Residents were seen fleeing in panic as flames swallowed the area, but fortunately, no civilians were hurt—only the firefighters sustained injuries.
Commissioner John Esposito expressed relief that the injuries were not life-threatening and said he expected all the firefighters to recover fully. He also reminded the public, “If you’re smoking, don’t flick your butt. Please make sure to properly extinguish your cigarettes before disposing of them.”
By 8:19 p.m., the fire was finally under control.
After the explosion, images revealed the wreckage of the car, with debris scattered across the sidewalk.
