A family of three is displaced and their apartment badly damaged after a buildup of chemical fumes caused an explosion late Wednesday evening in New Jersey, according to multiple reports.
Authorities believe the family was trying to deal with their apartment's cockroach problem, but it appeared their efforts were unsuccessful.
"When I got on scene, I saw numerous roaches crawling throughout the apartment," Asbury Park fire spokesman Garrett Giberson Jr. told Asbury Park News.
Firefighters found the windows of the apartment badly damaged after a fire alarm went off in the home around 10 p.m. Wednesday, the Asbury Park Sun reported.
A preliminary investigation found tenants were spraying insecticide too near a stove when the explosion occurred, Asbury Park Fire Chief Kevin Keddy told the news website. A resident started to get a headache and opened a window. The combination of oxygen, fumes and the lit pilot light of the stove appeared to have caused the blast.
The apartment's residents, two adults and a toddler, were transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center as a precaution. The American Red Cross is providing temporary shelter for the trio, according to Asbury Park News.
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