NAUGATUCK - A blasting accident closes part of a Field Street in Naugatuck.
“Oh my God it felt like a bomb outside,” said Andrea Jimenez.
Jimenez was working from home when she heard the blast that sent rocks tumbling into her yard. Her neighbor captured home surveillance video of the blast. You can see soot billowing across the street.
“I looked out here and saw all the debris flying all over the place,” said John Pereira.
“Definitely a scary experience,” said Jimenez.
Crews were blasting rock around 11:30 am Friday morning in order to build a home at 61 Field Street. Three horns signified the blast and then something went wrong. Massive pieces of rock and debris covered the street and blocked the entrance to Pereira’s driveway.
“Anger. This is a pretty new house and the neighborhood and I was not expecting this at all,” said Pereira.
The blast was supposed to be contained under 5,000 lbs. rubber mats. Six of them were being used at the time but they somehow gave way.
“We are very fortunate when we got here. All we found was the electrical hazard and the road hazard because it could’ve been considerably worse,” said Naugatuck Assistant Fire Chief John DeBisschop.
DeBisschop says Blast-Tech took all of the proper precautions including closing the road before the blast. All crew members were standing a safe distance away. No one was injured.
Investigators say utilities were not damaged. Some homes lost cable and internet but still had power. There was damage to a mailbox and a rock wall. Neighbors didn’t see any structural damage to their homes.
“I do not want any more blasting here,” said Pereira. “This was damage enough.”
“I can’t even imagine getting hit by one of the rocks that are out on our lawn,” said Jimenez
The road reopened following the cleanup. Investigators are looking into what caused the blast mats to give way.
FOX61 Reached out to Blast-Tech for comment but we have not heard back at this time.