A massive fireworks explosion, believed by authorities to have been sparked by someone smoking a cigarette, destroyed multiple homes and left five people injured this week in a Washington state island community.
Dramatic footage from a Ring camera captured the instant the home where the fireworks were being stored erupted into a huge fireball, sending thick smoke rolling into nearby yards.
The blast also ignited a second home, which burned to the ground, while a third residence sustained major damage.
Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue Chief Jerry Helm told FOX 13 that fireworks can be “kind of like a little ticking time bomb you’re not sure when they’re going to go off.”
Helm said investigators believe the fire was most likely started when someone inside the house smoked too close to the stored fireworks, possibly dropping ash onto the pyrotechnics.
Neighbor Tanya Hernandez-Garzon told the local outlet she watched as the fireworks went off in every direction, describing them as “exploding and shooting everywhere.”
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“It’s sad to see somebody so immature that they don’t think of other people and to see how much damage is done is really heartbreaking,” she said.
Hernandez-Garzon said her immediate fear was for her five dogs and her pet bird.
“Our main concern was to get the dogs out of the house,” she said.
“Everything else is replaceable, but not my animals,” she said.
Three firefighters were among the injured. Two of them were discharged from the hospital and are expected to recover, while the third is being treated for his injures.
Two civilians went to the hospital before they could be evaluated by first responders, according to FOX13.
The Island County Sheriff’s Office said that it will determine after the investigation whether criminal charges are warranted.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also investigating the incident.
