Two firefighters from the Pompton Lakes Volunteer Fire Department received burns and were treated at a local hospital, while three others sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
"Within a couple minutes of their entrance, and while using a thermal imaging camera to locate the problem, the home literally exploded, injuring some members manning the hose line at the back of the home and partially trapping others in the basement," a spokesperson with the department explained.
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All were able to get out on their own, and police evacuated the lone resident who said at the time he did not know how the fire started.
"I thought we were going to have six fatalities, I really did," Pompton Lakes Fire Chief Jason Ekkers told NorthJersey.com. "They managed to climb out of the basement with compromised stairs. They all helped each other out, they came out one at a time and we were at the back door, just feeding them out."
It is still unclear what caused the explosion, local reports say.
Fox News Paul Best and The Associated Press contributed to this report.