Garbage truck explosion in Chicago suburb injures 3 first responders | VIDEO

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- Three first responders were injured in an explosion and fire involving a garbage truck in Arlington Heights, Illinois -- just north of Chicago.

The explosion happened around 4 p.m. on Friday.

Police said two officers and one firefighter were hurt by flying debris and the sheer impact of the blast. Their injuries were initially reported to be non-life threatening.

Trash could be seen scattered all over the street.

The explosion was followed by an eruption of flames that left neighbors in disbelief.

"I walked to the side of the house and was actually sitting there, and I said, 'Oh, there's some smoke over there,'" said neighbor Paul Duchek. "All of a sudden, boom. It just, it just came upon us."

Paul and Sue Duchek live about 200 feet from where the garbage truck exploded. Some of the windows of their home were knocked from their frames, and a part from the truck landed against their garage.

"It made me literally drop, and I was on the phone with a client, and phone went out, and my client was trying to call me back, couldn't," Sue Duchek said.

Witnesses say the truck, operated by Groot Waste Management, had caught fire for some unknown reason. The driver had left the vehicle and police had arrived on scene when the explosion happened.

The sound was absolutely deafening. Neighbors on the next block were also scrambling for safety.

At Mary Battin's home, yards from the explosion, debris damaged its exterior.

"My family rushed here to make sure I'm okay," Battin said. "The dogs are okay. I've got friends that came over, and I'm just glad everybody's safe."

It's still unclear exactly what went wrong, but according to Groot's website, many of their trucks are powered by compressed natural gas. Investigators suspect one of those gas tanks likely exploded.

No further information was immediately available as an investigation continues.