Firefighters were injured when a compressed natural gas tank on a truck exploded Thursday morning on a street in Wilmington.
The powerful explosion was reported at about 7 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Alameda Street. Details about the initial fire response that brought firefighters to the location near a truck yard next to a residential neighborhood were not immediately available.
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Seven firefighters who were putting out the fire were injured in the blast. At least two hospitalized in critical condition. Other people were being assessed for injuries at the scene.
The explosion left debris scattered in the street. Video from NewsChopper4 showed several fire engines at the scene and the wreckage of the burned truck near a rail crossing.
Two 100-gallon compressed natural gas tanks were on the truck, the LAFD said. At about 9 a.m., firefighters continued to assess another tank on the burned out truck.
“The unique aspect of this vehicle is that it’s not run on diesel or gasoline, but it is actually propelled with CNG, or compressed natural gas,” said LAFD Capt. Erik Scott. “The explosion was significant. The ball of flame was as high as these telephone poles.”
It was not immediately clear whether the truck was moving at the time, Capt. Erik Scott said. Details about the condition of the driver were not available.
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas composed mainly of methane that is stored in hard pressurized containers.
CNG vehicles have spark-ignited internal combustion engines, much like gasoline-powered vehicles. The CNG that powers the vehicle is stored in a cylinder that supplies fuel to fuel lines, which have a pressure regulator. The CNG eventually enters a combustion chamber, where it mixes with air and is compressed and ignited by a spark plug.