Cleanup underway following explosion at Wakefield home

Cleanup efforts got underway after an explosion early Sunday afternoon in the Wakefield section of The Bronx.

Jodi-Juliana Powell

Sep 2, 2024, 2:56 PM

Updated 12 days ago

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Cleanup efforts got underway after an explosion early Sunday afternoon in the Wakefield section of The Bronx.
Firefighters told News 12 it happened on Paulding Avenue around 1p.m.
They say a 45-year-old man was mixing cleaning chemicals in the basement when a fire started.
The Department of Buildings says one of the owners was attempting to remove paint from the floor of the cellar when he mixed bleach and acetone, causing an explosion and fire which damaged a window, a skylight, and parts of the living room area.
The DOB says there is no visible structural damage and the owner was issued a violation.
A family friend told News 12 he was down the block when he heard the explosion.
“I heard like 'boom, boom.' I thought it was a rocket launcher…it looks ashy, stuff is melted, glass is broken,” Trevor McKoy said.
The basement and the first-floor window are the only parts of the house with damage.
The man was taken to the hospital where he was in stable condition as of Sunday evening.