Brooklyn house explosion leads to discovery of illegal apartment next door

EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (PIX11) — Multiple families in the East Flatbush area have been displaced, and one home is facing illegal apartment violations following a house explosion on Thursday.

Officials from the Department of Buildings have issued a full vacate order for homes surrounding 790 East 37th St. due to structural damage from the explosion. National Grid has also cut services to the surrounding addresses while officials continue to monitor the situation.

The building at neighboring 792 East 37th St. was slapped with multiple violations after investigators found an illegal apartment in the home’s cellar, according to the Department of Buildings. Among the violations were working without a permit, occupancy contrary to a Certificate of Occupancy and lack of a secondary exit.

The American Red Cross is helping to relocate the displaced families while the Department of Buildings puts up a perimeter around the impacted area.

Several people were injured in the explosion in the basement of 790 East 37th St., between Foster Avenue and Farragut Road, around 8:30 p.m. Some of the home’s windows were blown out. Shattered glass could be seen on the street.

The FDNY is investigating the cause of the explosion.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here .

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