Garbage truck explodes in Illinois suburb, sending debris flying and injuring first responders

Two police officers are recovering, and a firefighter is back on the job after a garbage truck explosion in an Illinois suburb injured them late last week.

The incident happened in Arlington Heights, located outside Chicago, on Friday. Two video clips shared by police show it all going down from an officer’s body camera and a squad car dash-mounted camera. 

The blast happened just before 4 p.m. while authorities were responding to the truck on fire, FOX 32 Chicago reported. 

“The cause of the fire and explosion is under investigation, with the working theory being uncontrolled combustion in a garbage truck hopper, igniting Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tanks,” Arlington Heights Police Department wrote on Facebook. 

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The police department told the local Fox station that the blast’s shockwave shattered windows, including the windshield of a fire engine, and caused roof and siding damage to nearby homes.

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The blast sent a damaging shockwave throughout the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois, on Dec. 6, 2024. (Arlington Heights Police Department )

Debris was sent flying through the neighborhood, injuring cars and homes, as this dashcam shows. (Arlington Heights Police Department )

The three first responders were injured by flying debris and a “post-blast concussion,” FOX 32 reported. 

None of the injuries were deemed life-threatening.