Car explosion rocks New Jersey suburb. What we know

A neighborhood in New Jersey was shaken awake on the morning of July 13 when a car exploded, Totowa Mayor John Coiro confirmed to USA TODAY.

The explosion occurred around 5:30 a.m. in a gated community in Totowa. The borough is roughly 15 miles north of Newark.

Here's what we know about the explosion that rocked the New Jersey area early in the morning.

Mayor: 'No bomb and no foul play'

According to Coiro, multiple agencies investigated the incident, including the Totowa police and fire departments, the Passaic County bomb squad, Passaic County prosecutor and sheriff's department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI assisted local authorities.

"Early in the investigation, it was clear that there was no bomb and no foul play at work here," Coiro said.

According to ABC 7 and CBS News, the vehicle belonged to a plumber, and officials believe the blaze may have been ignited by a leaking acetylene tank in the trunk. Acetylene, a high-intensity fuel and chemical building block used for metalworking, such as welding, cutting and brazing, is extremely flammable under pressure, according to Princeton University's Office of Environmental Health and Safety.

"A resident entered his vehicle, turning the ignition on, and the car exploded," Coiro told CBS News. "He is a plumber, and he had a tank of acetylene in his trunk, so preliminarily, we're not sure if that's what caused the explosion."

Explosion demolishes vehicle

Footage obtained by USA TODAY shows that most of the vehicle was completely demolished. Debris from the explosion can be seen strewn across the street, while the blast also knocked over a nearby fence.

Coiro told USA TODAY that the driver of the vehicle was able to walk back to his house following the explosion, adding he was taken to a hospital for an examination. The resident, who has not been identified, will spend the night at the hospital for observation, the mayor said.

"It appears that he has some bleeding in his ears, but not much else," Coiro said. "He is lucky."

Mayor: 'Somewhat of a miracle'

Aside from the injuries sustained by the driver, no one else was hurt as a result of the explosion, Coiro said. However, debris did impact nearby homes.

"Other residents affected by the blast due to flying car parts and damage to their homes have been allowed back in as their homes seem to be safe," Coiro said, adding the vehicle and all of its debris have been removed from the scene.

A neighbor, Sheldon Blaine, told local media outlet News 12 that the explosion launched debris into his home. "It blew in our house," Blaine said. "Stuff off our doors, our windows were all blown in."

Another resident told News 12 that his house rattled, despite living blocks away from the scene. "The house shook. It was an explosion," said neighbor Pete Rizzuto. "The house shook and we're two and a half, three blocks away from that."

Coiro said that "all in all," the limited fallout from the explosion is "somewhat of a miracle."

Amanda Wallace of the Bergen Record, part of the USA TODAY Network, contributed to this report.

Drew Pittock covers national trending news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Car explosion rocks New Jersey suburb. What we know

Reporting by Drew Pittock and Amanda Wallace, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 6:13 PM.