Explosion levels home in Westfield, New Jersey. Video shows damage left behind.

Vacant house explodes, bursts into flames in Westfield, New Jersey

WESTFIELD, N.J. -- A house exploded and burst into flames overnight in Westfield, New Jersey. 

Police say it may have been caused by a gas leak. Emergency crews and the gas company are on the scene.

Explosion rocks Tudor Oval neighborhood

A house exploded and burst into flames overnight in Westfield, New Jersey.  CBS New York

The house exploded around 10:15 p.m. Monday on Tudor Oval, sparking a raging fire.

By daybreak, video showed the roof on the ground and debris scattered all over the yard. 

"We just heard like a big boom, and we came outside to check it out," one neighbor said on the scene. "Then, we ended up just seeing a little fire, but before the fire department got here, it ended up just blowing up a lot bigger."

"We heard a loud boom, explosion. It sounded like a car exploded out front, so we came out front to look at it," said another neighbor. "We came to our driveway, turned around, and then saw flames and the neighbor just screaming, 'fire, it's a fire, call 911!'"

No one was inside the house, and no injuries were reported. Neighbors said they don't think anyone has lived there for the past 15 years. 

"Thank god there's nobody inside. A few years, nobody live in that house," another neighbor added. "Scary, everybody was nervous." 

They also said the home did not appear to be taken care of.

"Trash, debris, you know, overgrown. People have called the town to do work to clean up. Boxes will be left, old cars will be left in the driveway," one neighbor said. "It's not well kept."

Union County officials and Elizabethtown Gas say the area is safe, but some neighbors decided to evacuate while the cause remains under investigation. 

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