FBI investigating explosion that destroyed home, critically injured man in Northeast Albuquerque

An explosion rocked the Northeast Heights on Wednesday afternoon, injuring two people — one critically — damaging several homes and leaving an entire neighborhood block shut down for hours.

While stopping short of attributing the explosion to fireworks, Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesperson Lt. Jason Fejer said fireworks were found at the site of the blast, and the owners of the home had notified first responders of the explosives.

He added that federal agencies would be helping with the investigation, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives leading the “cause and origin” portion, looking into the possible manufacturing of commercial-grade fireworks. The FBI confirmed it was also investigating the explosion but, due to the “ongoing nature of this investigation,” could not provide additional details.

Gregory Clark, 60, listed as the owner of the home that exploded, is in critical condition and being transported to the burn center at the Texas Tech University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas. The other patient involved is in stable condition at the University of New Mexico Hospital, according to UNMH spokesperson Chris Ramirez.

AFR said that it was dispatched at around 1:40 p.m. to the 9400 block of Woodland NE, in a neighborhood northwest of Juan Tabo and Menaul, and the “fire was brought under control within approximately 50 minutes.” No firefighters were injured while battling the blaze.

In addition to AFR responding to the scene, Albuquerque Police Department and the New Mexico Gas Co. were also spotted, and the APD bomb squad was deployed at one point. APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos could not be reached for comment.

The house where the explosion occurred was listed as a “total loss” by the fire department. Next door, Holly Summers’ home suffered significant damage. While the damage to her house is a concern to her, Summers is most alarmed by the disappearance of her dog.

“I haven’t gotten to see how bad the damage is, but they told me it was pretty badly burned,” Summers said. She said she’s worried her dog, a terrier, took off along Eubank.

Before being forced out of the area by APD officers, Journal staffers observed shattered windows, burned cars and debris in the street.

Ali Jafair lives across the street from where the explosion occurred — in a house he’s owned for just three months — and described the feeling of the impact as if a bomb had just been detonated. He took his family to a nearby park following the explosion.

Chris Butler lives roughly a mile away from where the explosion occurred, but said he could still feel the impacts of it.

“It felt like a tree was falling on the house, or a neighbor’s house, or something, there was a big thump,” Butler said.

Jessica Peterson was at work when the explosion occurred and lives on the same street where it happened. She wasn’t able to immediately access her home or assess potential damage as the area was taped off.

While she didn’t think her neighbor was running a “a meth lab or anything like that, because he’s not that kind of guy,” Peterson said she was not surprised by the federal investigation.

“I was wondering, how on earth do fireworks blow (expletive) up like that, unless he was doing something like (manufacturing them)?” Peterson said. “I feel like you can’t tell anymore, you could be in the nicest neighborhood in America, and you wouldn’t know who lives next door to you.”