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Police: Garbage truck fire touches off explosion of CNG fuel tank in Arlington Heights

Two police officers and one firefighter were injured by an explosion and fire in the Arlington Heights area Friday after a garbage truck crash.

The incident occurred about 4 p.m. on the 500 block of Derbyshire, south of Euclid.

A number of emergency personnel responded to a reported truck fire and the explosion occurred while they were assessing the scene. The three injured by debris and post-blast concussion were taken to a local emergency department with non-life-threatening injuries, Arlington Heights police said.

Officials said truck parts flew several blocks away, nearby homes lost sections of their roofs and sidings and had their windows shattered. The windshield on the first fire truck to arrive shattered and a cab-mounted public safety radio was knocked down. A nearby police car’s air bags deployed.

The truck is fueled by compressed natural gas and operated by Groot Waste Management. As the fire department worked to contain the fire, one of the gas tanks exploded, causing significant damage.

The garbage truck was removed by a heavy-duty wrecker around 7:15 p.m. Groot sent equipment and a crew to clean up the damage. The crew took care of residual content on the surrounding areas, police said.

Euclid Avenue was expected to be reopened by 10 p.m., after being closed for most of the evening.

  A garbage truck that was headed southward on North Derbyshire Avenue, just south of east Euclid Avenue caught fire on Friday afternoon in Arlington Heights. A fire on the truck caused the liquid natural gas tank to explode, sending debris throughout the neighborhood and damaging houses. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com

Arlington Heights fire crews arrived at approximately 3:58 p.m. Arlington Heights police said they determined a fire on the truck caused the liquid natural gas tank on the truck to explode.

Trash and debris were scattered around the scene.

An investigation into the cause of the explosion is underway.

  A garbage truck that was headed southward on North Derbyshire Ave., just south of east Euclid Ave. caught fire on Friday afternoon in Arlington Heights. There were no serious injuries after a fire on the truck caused the liquid natural gas tank to explode, sending debris throughout the neighborhood and damaging houses. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
Fire personnel respond to an fire and explosion involving a garbage truck on the 500 block of Derbyshire in Arlington Heights. Courtesy of ABC 7 Chicago
  A garbage truck that was headed southward on North Derbyshire Ave., just south of east Euclid Ave. caught fire on Friday afternoon in Arlington Heights. There were no serious injuries after a fire on the truck caused the liquid natural gas tank to explode, sending debris throughout the neighborhood and damaging houses. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
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