Deadly House Explosion in New Jersey Kills Two, Rocks Quiet Neighborhood

Two bodies were recovered from the debris of the destroyed home.

A residential explosion in the early hours of Sunday morning claimed the lives of two people and left a trail of destruction in a quiet neighborhood in Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Authorities say the blast occurred around 2 a.m. on Tranquility Court and resulted in a devastating fire that completely engulfed the home within minutes.

Emergency crews arrived to find the house fully consumed by flames. The remains of a man and a woman were later recovered from the rubble. Their identities have not yet been publicly released.

Neighborhood cameras in Washington Township, NJ, captured the moment a house exploded and burst into flames early Sunday

The violent explosion was captured on doorbell cameras throughout the neighborhood, with footage showing the home erupting into a fireball. Witnesses described the blast as thunderous, shaking nearby homes and waking residents in a state of panic. Local officials called the incident an "intense fire" and noted that two nearby homes also sustained damage from the heat and debris. One neighbor, Jill Rauf, reported that half the siding of her house melted due to the intensity of the flames.

Neighbors said the man who was killed in the fire was a nice guy who walked his dog around the neighborhood

Residents recounted the terrifying moment the explosion occurred. “I was terrified, absolutely terrified,” said neighbor Susan Pinto. “Because I never heard an explosion like that in my life. The house was burning to the ground very, very quickly.”

Another neighbor, Jimmy Gibson, echoed her account, describing the sound of the blast as a “real loud boom.” He added, “The whole house was in flames already, that fast, as soon as the explosion happened.”

Cameras from across the street show the bright burst of flames from inside the home at around 2 a.m

While the cause of the explosion remains under investigation, residents in the area recalled seeing the man who lived at the property walking his dog often and described him as a kind and familiar face in the community.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly blast as the neighborhood reels from the sudden tragedy.