LOS ANGELES – The explosion of a compressed natural gas (CNG) powered truck that injured seven firefighters, including two critically, was captured on video Thursday in Wilmington.
The video recorded by Noel Jordan and shared with KTLA showed flames and smoke from the explosion rising high into the air.
“That explosion was significant. The ball of flame was as high as telephone poles, and it did explode one of the [power] transformers nearby,” Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott said during a news conference shortly after the blast.
Aerial video from Sky 5 showed debris, including charred wreckage from the truck and firefighting gear scattered around the area.
The seven firefighters injured in the blast were quickly triaged and treated at the scene before getting transported to a local hospital.
“Two of them are in critical condition,” Scott said.
The driver of the truck, which held two 100-gallon tanks, appeared to escape unharmed before the blast.