Witnesses Describe 'Huge, Black Cloud Of Smoke' After Explosion In Englewood, New Jersey
ENGLEWOOD, N. J. (CBSNewYork) -- Officials have still not said what caused a massive explosion at a storage facility on Wednesday morning.
Some people told CBS2's Alice Gainer it felt like an earthquake hit the area. Dozens of firefighters responded to the scene, with many working well into the afternoon.
Despite what happened, there were no injuries.
Cellphone video taken minutes after the explosion at 41 Bancker St. in Englewood shows the aftermath.
"I heard an explosion. It shook my office here, and I see a fireball in the sky," witness Kevin Mark said.
Mark, who works nearby, took the video.
Other people in the area said they saw the same.
"After getting my coffee, I heard a big boom," witness Mark Lewis said. "There's a huge, black cloud of smoke, which I thought might have been a plane crash."
The explosion happened at 8:36 a.m., and according to the fire chief within four minutes firefighters were on scene.
Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes and Bergen County Executive James Tedesco got a look at the back of the facility.
"There was nobody inside. No injuries, and the people that are renting the facility are on the scene here as well," Wildes said. "It was storage for women's shoes."
Despite windy conditions, Englewood Fire Chief Erik Enerson said firefighters didn't run into any issues battling the fire.
In all, 150 firefighters responded. Many worked well into the afternoon putting water on any hotspots.
Images from Chopper 2 showed the building's extensive damage. The roof is gone in spots and windows were blown out.
"Two adjacent buildings sustained some damage," Enerson said.
As firefighters worked, streets in the area were closed to drivers. Those who saw and heard what happened said they were happy to know no one was injured.
"I was a little nervous, because of the way it shook," Mark said.
PSE&G was called in to shut off gas. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
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