Nicetown residents concerned after second explosion in neighborhood

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Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Nicetown residents concerned after 2nd explosion in neighborhood
Nicetown residents concerned after 2nd explosion in neighborhood

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- There was another explosion in Philadelphia's Nicetown section on Monday, the second in the area in as many days.

Surveillance video captured a massive fireball around 1:30 p.m. at David Geppert Recycling on Pulaski Avenue.

It was a distressing coincidence for neighbors after a fatal blast leveled multiple homes and damaged others a half mile away on Sunday morning.

MORE | Philadelphia explosion levels homes, leaving 1 dead and 2 injured in Nicetown

One resident says windows on his home were shattered by the blast on Monday. Captain Daniel McCarty with the Philadelphia Fire Department confirms that a propane tank exploded at the recycling facility. Crews responded and were able to extinguish the flames quickly.

No injuries were reported in Monday's incident.

Action News reached out to the recycling company and was told it was a small fire, with no further explanation on how it happened.

"Money is small. We can always fix things, but there should be some type of concern from the company," one resident said.

Right now, there's a heightened sense of alarm in Nicetown if something happens again.

"It could take out the whole neighborhood. We have kids running around here. It's a playground right there," said Daniella Holmes.

"Prayerfully, thank God nobody got hurt," Holmes added.

Heavy equipment worked to clear rubble as investigators from the ATF were back on West Bristol Street after an unexplained explosion Sunday killed a woman and injured two others.

"We need to find out exactly what happened. We know all of the details, all of the facts are not in yet," said Councilmember Cindy Bass.

One of the injured was a well-known, longtime city council staffer who is currently hospitalized in critical condition, Bass said. City agencies and the Red Cross were on scene Monday, working to help those affected.

"We're trying to make sure that lives go back to normal as quickly as possible," Bass said.

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