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Lunchtime Inferno: Food Cart Fire Leads to Massive Explosion

Astonishingly, no one was seriously injured in the Portland, Ore., blast.

Two cars were destroyed and several other were damaged following a food cart explosion in a Portland, Ore., parking lot

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Fire officials say propane tanks on the cart exploded in the lunchtime blaze and wind caused the flames to spread to at least 10 cars in the lot.

The fire ignited when someone who works on the cart overfilled a generator with gas and it spilled, authorities said. Workers tried to put the fire out with extinguishers but could not contain the blaze.

The flames also destroyed a second food cart and 10 cars in the parking lot.

A recent Inside Edition investigation uncovered the potential dangers of various restaurants on wheels catching fire.

The dangerous conditions are sometimes due to leaking propane that’s used to cook food.

Some accidents have caused minor injuries but a 2015 Philadelphia explosion turned deadly when a mother and her daughter serving food from inside the truck were killed in the blast. 

Utilizing the help of the Connecticut Fire Marshal’s Office and the Branford Fire Department, Inside Edition was shown just how hazardous leaking propane in a food truck can be.

Utilizing slow motion cameras, the propane can be seen igniting before a fireball erupts.

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The force of the blast broke the windshield and hurled a mannequin out of the truck. Another dummy that was placed outside the truck was blown back.

Some critics are pushing alternative fuels like natural gas to cook the lunchtime delicacies, claiming it’s safer. But the food truck and propane industries stress these types of accidents are rare and you can continue to enjoy their favorite food truck pit stop.