RED BANK: BACKYARD BBQ GRILL EXPLODES

A pair of explosions audible from blocks away brought out the Red Bank Volunteer Fire Department shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday night. Deputy fire chief Pete DeFazio, responding to a report of an explosion in a propane-fueled barbecue grill at 95 South Street, witnessed the second explosion, which he said sent a flame about 15 feet into the air. He put the resulting fire out with an extinguisher, he said.

The owner of the home, Tim Carr, told firefighters he had shut the grill down about two hours earlier, authorities said. An investigation into the cause was underway.

No one was injured and there was no structural damage, said Chief Joe Lauterwasser. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

December 22, 2015 - 11:08 pm | Comments ()

RED BANK: JCP&L DISPUTES ‘EXPLOSION’ CLAIM

A series of eruptions displaced a manhole cover and bricks outside Red Bank Catholic, above. Below, JCP&L workers on making repairs in the “handhole” early Monday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Were there explosions on Broad Street in Red Bank on Sunday?

Yes, according to eyewitnesses. No, according to a JCP&L spokesman – and the sidewalks downtown are as safe as ever.

Through spokesman Ron Morano, the electrical utility on Monday disputed claims that its equipment had exploded up to four times outside the St. James Church/Red Bank Catholic High complex, as reported on redbankgreen and elsewhere.

The claim that there were no explosions surprised police Chief Darren McConnell, who said he saw two himself as he stood in the cordoned-off stretch of Broad Street shortly after 3 p.m.

“I don’t know what they’re defining as an explosion,” McConnell said. “I saw what happened, and what happened looked an awful lot like an explosion to me.”

January 6, 2015 - 7:00 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: ARE SIDEWALKS SAFE?

The explosions occurred in two transformer pits outside Red Bank Catholic High and St. James Church Sunday afternoon. (Video by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank officials are scheduled to meet Monday with power company representatives to determine what caused Sunday’s electrical equipment explosions on Broad Street, Mayor Pasquale Menna tells redbankgreen.

Also on the table, he said, is the question of whether JCP&L’s underground equipment, which runs the length of Broad Street downtown, is safe, he said.

January 5, 2015 - 8:08 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: POWER BACK ON AFTER EXPLOSIONS

A JCP&L crew working outside RBC at about 4:35 Monday morning. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

Utility workers restored electrical power to downtown Red Bank Sunday night following a series of underground transformer explosions that sent manhole covers and bricks flying at mid-afternoon.

No one was reported injured in the blasts, which occurred in two curbside service pits located about 100 feet apart outside the Red Bank Catholic High School/Saint James Church complex on Broad Street, with the first of four explosions reported at about 3:06 p.m.

January 5, 2015 - 6:00 am | Comments ()

RED BANK: EXPLOSIONS ROCK BROAD STREET

Smoke billows from one of two manholes on Broad Street Sunday afternoon. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

A series of explosions in underground electrical boxes rocked Broad Street in Red Bank Sunday afternoon.

No injuries were reported as the eruptions, in front of the St. James Church/Red Bank Catholic High School complex, sent steel covers and bricks flying from two manholes shortly after 3 p.m.

January 4, 2015 - 4:50 pm | Comments ()

M’TOWN MAN CHARGED IN EXPLOSION

The home at 56 Twin Brooks Ave., where three people were injured in an explosion Tuesday night. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)

By DUSTIN RACIOPPI

[EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to include information from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Middletown police.]

A Middletown man has been charged in connection with an explosion at his Twin Brooks Avenue home that injured two members of the State Police, the Asbury Park Press reports.

Frank Szmaja, 64, was charged with one count of third-degree possession of a destructive device, one count of second-degree causing or risking widespread injury or damage, plus the disorderly persons offenses of persons possessing explosives or destructive devices to notify police, maintaining a nuisance and violation of a law intended to protect public health and safety, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said in a release.

September 15, 2010 - 1:08 pm | Comments ()

TROOPERS HURT IN ‘MINOR EXPLOSION’

“Several” State Troopers suffered non-life-threatening injuries “during a small chemical explosion” in Middletown Tuesday afternoon, according to a report by the Star-Ledger.

The troopers drove themselves to Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank for treatment following the incident, which occurred during the course of an investigation around 3p on Twin Brooks Avenue, the Sledger says, citing State Police Detective Brian Polite. The officers were later released.

A police source who asked not to be identified tells redbankgreen that one person “blew his hand off” with a homemade bomb and was transported by helicopter for treatment. The explosion that injured the troopers appeared to have occurred during a testing of materials on the scene, the source said. Those reports remained unconfirmed as of 10:45p.

September 14, 2010 - 10:01 pm | Comments ()

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Serving Red Bank and Greater Red Bank, NJ

RED BANK: BACKYARD BBQ GRILL EXPLODES

RED BANK: JCP&L DISPUTES ‘EXPLOSION’ CLAIM

RED BANK: ARE SIDEWALKS SAFE?

RED BANK: POWER BACK ON AFTER EXPLOSIONS

RED BANK: EXPLOSIONS ROCK BROAD STREET

M’TOWN MAN CHARGED IN EXPLOSION

TROOPERS HURT IN ‘MINOR EXPLOSION’