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.