Explosion Shakes Belleville Neighborhood, Cause Unknown, Official Says

BELLEVILLE, NJ — An explosion rocked a Belleville neighborhood on Thursday night, with residents in the area temporarily evacuated from their homes.

Belleville Town Councilman Frank Vélez shared video footage from the scene, noting that Division Avenue between Nolton and Passaic avenues was closed to traffic.

“Houses have been evacuated, residents have reported smelling a strong odor,” Vélez said, adding that PSEG and Belleville first responders were present.

Belleville Mayor Michael Melham also shared video footage on Thursday night, reporting that an emergency response was underway.

“We are also addressing reports of additional gas leaks in other areas of town, which has prompted further precautionary evacuations,” Melham said.

The mayor released some additional details about the fire on Friday morning.

According to Melham, the incident involved an explosion in a basement on Division Avenue.

“All residents have been safely allowed to return to their homes, with the exception of the original incident location, which has been red-tagged,” he said. “Three additional homes were temporarily affected and have since been cleared, with PSE&G restoring service where needed.”

The Belleville Fire Department is investigating the cause of the explosion, which remains unknown, he said.

“Fire officials will be back on site today as a precaution to conduct additional readings,” Melham said. “At this time, all evacuations have been deemed precautionary, and there is no impact to area schools.”

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