RELATIONSHIP AT THIS TIME. >> A RETIRED NEWARK POLICE OFFICER WAS KILLED IN A HOUSE EXPLOSION IN NEW JERSEY LAST NIGHT. THE EXPLOSION LEVELED THE HOUSE AND DAMAGED ANOTHER RETIRED OFFICER, KEVIN GILBERT, WAS KILLED. ANOTHER VICTIM WAS PULLED FROM THE RUBBLE AND IS NOW FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE WITH BURNS TO MORE THAN 90% OF HIS BODY. NEW JERSEY REPORTER TONI YATES IS LIVE IN SOUTH RIVER AND HAS THE VERY LATEST ON THE INVESTIGATION. TONI >> RIGHT. YEAH. AND LIZ, I CAN TELL YOU NOT A LOT HAPPENING ON THAT PROPERTY TODAY. THE MOST ACTIVITY WE'VE SEEN IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD ARE PEOPLE DRIVING BY TO SEE THE DAMAGE. PEOPLE WALKING UP TO THE POLICE LINE TO LOOK AT WHAT'S LEFT OF THAT HOUSE. INVESTIGATORS HAVE BEEN ON THE PROPERTY, BUT NO ONE ELSE. >> WE GOT A LOT GOING ON IN THIS WORLD, YOU KNOW, WITH WARS AND DEVASTATION THAT LOOKS LIKE A BOMBING. YOU KNOW, IT JUST LOOKS UNBELIEVABLE. >> THE EXPLOSION LEVELED THE HOUSE AT FOUR CONTINENTAL COURT. THE BLAST. SO POWERFUL IT DAMAGED OTHER HOMES ON THE CUL DE SAC. SOME HOMEOWNERS TODAY FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES INDEFINITELY. >> WE'RE TRYING TO, CONCLUDE THAT THE HOUSE IS AROUND THEM ARE GOING TO BE SAFE. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT OF THE HOUSES, THEY ARE NOT TO BE INHABITED. >> REPORTER THE BLAST CLAIMED THE LIFE OF 62 YEAR OLD KEVIN GILBERT, WHO RETIRED FROM THE NEWARK POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 2016 AFTER 26 YEARS OF SERVICE AS A DETECTIVE IN THE FOURTH PRECINCT. A SECOND PERSON IN THE HOME IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION WITH BURNS OVER 90% OF HIS BODY. THE BLAST, AT AROUND 7:00 LAST NIGHT SENT PEOPLE RUNNING OUT OF THEIR HOMES. >> IT PRETTY MUCH SHOOK OUR APARTMENT. >> HIS APARTMENT IS SEVERAL BLOCKS AWAY. >> WE'RE ASTONISHED BY THE DEBRIS. JUST, YOU KNOW, THE EXPLOSION WAS LOUD, BUT WE JUST SAW THE DEBRIS AND JUST COULD NOT COMPREHEND, LIKE, HOW THIS HAPPENED. >> IT FEELS LIKE JATIN SINGH IS JUST A FEW HOUSES AWAY. >> I SAW BIG SMOKE COMING AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LIKE, JUST SCREAMING AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT HAPPENED? LIKE I JUST GOT HERE AND THEN THE WHOLE HOUSE JUST FELL APART. >> ARSON INVESTIGATORS SPENT MUCH OF THE MORNING SIFTING THROUGH DEBRIS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAUSED THE HOUSE TO EXPLODE. PATCHOGUE HAS BEEN HERE TWO FOR HOURS, BUT NOT YET GIVEN THE GO AHEAD TO GO ON SITE. THE CUL DE SAC HAS BEEN EERILY QUIET ALL DAY. AND WITHIN THE LAST HOUR OR SO, WE KNOW THAT A COUPLE OF THE HOMES ON THE CUL DE SAC ARE OCCUPIED. WE SEE THEIR FAMILIES OUT THERE. BUT HERE'S THE THING. PATCHOGUE WAS HERE ALL DAY. THEY HAVE LEFT THE AREA RIGHT NOW. WE DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE THEY CHECKED THOSE HOMES TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FAMILIES CAN GET BACK INTO THEIR HOMES SAFELY, AND THAT'S ALL THEY WERE ALLOWED TO DO TODAY. OR IF INVESTIGATORS STILL HAVE WORK TO DO ON THE PROPERTY BEFORE PSEG IS ALLOWED TO, TO GO IN AND START THEIR
