Tuckerton, NJ – An accidental propane explosion inside a food truck oven early Saturday was heard for miles, but no one was injured, officials said.
The blast about 4:45 a.m. at Railroad Avenue and North Green Street damaged some nearby houses, according to a post on Tuckerton Fire Department’s Facebook page.
The trailer, Fuggettoboutit Lunch Wagon, was a hot dog stand Joseph DePalo said he has owned for about six years, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. The food stand was destroyed, leaving a “large debris field,” according to the fire department.
DePaolo leases the business to Robert Felicino, who told authorities he had paid next year’s rent a week ago. DePaolo said he doesn’t carry insurance on the property or trailer, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Felicino said he leaves the propane tanks on overnight and the Health Department inspected the trailer this past week, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Investigators believe the blast was an accident caused by free-flowing propane that may have been ignited by an electrical spark from an appliance, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.