Wild moment garbage truck explodes in flames and sends debris spewing across street

The insane moment a garbage truck exploded in flames and sent debris flying across the street of an Illinois suburb was captured on dramatic police video footage.

Police officers were responding to a truck on fire in Arlington Heights, a village outside of Chicago, on Friday afternoon when the blaze - which was powered by compressed natural gas - led to an abrupt and massive explosion, Fox 32 reported.

The terrifying footage showed one fireman hosing down the smoking truck while another appeared to be setting up a fire extinguisher further away - all while neighbors stood outside their homes to watch.

But in a matter of seconds, an ear-piercing boom was heard and the truck was captured as it abruptly exploded - all while the emergency responders were in close proximity.

A thick cloud of reddish smoke erupted into the air and debris flew in every direction around the neighborhood before the camera quickly panned away from the scene.

'The explosion was significant,' a news release said. 'Truck parts were sent airborne, landing up to several blocks away. A shock wave caused substantial property damage in the immediate area.'

'Adjacent single-family homes had sections of roof and siding blown off,' the press release added. 'Windows were shattered.'

Two police officers and one firefighter were injured from the flying debris caused by the powerful blow, which prompted all three to seek treatment at a local hospital for a 'post-blast concussion,' where the two officers still remain in recovery.

The fire crew was able to contain the blaze - which is now under investigation, but was believed to be caused by uncontrolled combustion within the truck's garbage collection hopper that surrounded the trash and fueled the fire - prompting heat to rise to the roof and ignite its natural gas tanks.