Image via NBC Chicago/YouTube
We don’t hear about garbage trucks exploding very often and after seeing one do that in a Chicago suburb we have to say that’s a good thing. After all, with all kinds of refuse debris inside them, an exploding garbage truck is like one giant shrapnel shooting device.
Collision ruins a Christmas boat parade.
In this incident, which happened on December 6 in Arlington Heights, two police officers and a firefighter were injured. They were on the scene after the garbage truck caught fire when something inside exploded. An officer’s bodycam video shows just how violent hat explosion was as large debris goes flying past him at high speed.
Some of the debris was garbage that hadn’t yet burned. But there were also parts of the garbage truck itself which were flung far and wide. In fact, what flew past the officer almost looked like a grille surround or some other trim piece.
Another view of the explosion from the next street over is from a home surveillance camera. Not only does it show the towering flames followed by billowing smoke, you can see debris come raining down by the houses. It’s a miracle nobody outside was hurt.
The concussive blast from the explosion was so forceful it trigged the airbags on a police cruiser parked nearby. A fire engine’s windshield was shattered. Houses sustained damage to their roofs and siding, windows blew out.
Why the garbage truck caught fire and exploded isn’t clear right now. Investigators are trying to determine the cause. All we know is the truck is powered by compressed natural gas, which might explain the sudden explosion. Or maybe someone threw away a full propane tank or a few of them?
Whatever started the fire and whatever caused the explosion, this is a wonderful reminder that you need to not throw hazardous materials away in the garbage.
Image via NBC Chicago/YouTube
