Homes burned, 1 dead in Pacoima fireworks explosion ‘raining down on neighborhood’
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With fireworks actively exploding amid an eerie tower of smoke visible from miles away, more than 130 firefighters rushed to put out a major fire Thursday night in Pacoima that engulfed four homes, left one man dead and displaced more than a dozen people.
Neighbors reportedly had to help rescue at least one person through a window in this quiet residential area of 12933 W. Corcoran St., fire authorities said, and one woman was burned so severely that she had to be transported to the hospital in critical condition.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Neighbors reported hearing at least one and possibly two massive firework explosions shortly after 9 p.m. on the eve of July 4, before they noticed flames engulfing a nearby house.
Videos captured by neighbors and news helicopters showed fireworks actively detonating while crews from the Los Angeles Fire Department fought to contain the blaze from spreading and igniting more homes nearby. The firefighters had to attack the flames in a defensive mode at first, stationing themselves from a safe-enough distance in case of additional explosions.
By 9:30 p.m., the fire department had declared the blaze a “major emergency,” and arson and hazmat teams, as well as the Los Angeles Police Department’s bomb squad, were dispatched to the incident.
“It is unclear whether the explosion happened first or the fire happened first and caused the explosion, but this fire had obvious fueling,” said LAFD Public Information Officer David Ortiz, who was still working at the scene Friday morning. “Pyrotechnics, fireworks — they were seen exploding and raining down on this neighborhood.”
California has seen a spate of accidental fireworks explosions leading up to the Fourth of July with a Thursday morning detonation killing 1 in a Simi Valley home and a similar incident critically injuring two people in a Bay Area residence.
Firefighters were able to knock down the fire at 10 p.m., by which point it had spread to a fourth home, two accessory dwelling units and a car, according to the LAFD. A woman in her mid-30s had to be transported to a hospital in critical condition, and an injured dog was also taken to an emergency veterinary hospital.
One man was later found dead. Authorities have not released any details about him or the woman who was critically injured, but neighbors said the two were family members.
One neighbor, Jacob Gonzalez, told NBC-LA that he had rushed to one of the burning homes, and “when I arrived, that’s when I saw the burn victim.”
“She was lying on the floor, crying, her legs were just completely burnt. She was crying out for her husband,” Gonzalez said. “I tried to get her some water. I tried to do what I could for her.”
Four people were also evaluated for smoke inhalation but declined to be taken to the hospital. All told, more than 18 people have been displaced, and four homes had to be red-tagged and deemed uninhabitable.
Police and fire officials cordoned off the neighborhood through Friday morning and have been searching the area for any additional fireworks that may still be on site.
The police department’s Major Crimes Division is now investigating the death, and the fire department is still investigating the exact cause of the fire. No suspects have been identified, Ortiz said, and there is no one that the police is actively seeking at the moment.
A gas leak has been reported at one of the homes, and the L.A. Department of Water and Power has been asked to manage downed wires along the back of the initial three homes that caught fire.
The Red Cross and the L.A. Department of Building and Safety have also been tapped to assist in the aftermath of the blaze, and the mayor’s crisis response team has been providing grief counseling to the family members of the man who died, and to the families that lost their properties, Ortiz said.
“It’s concerning the number of fires that we are seeing that have involved fireworks in residential zones — the people that are selling these fireworks are not trained to handle fireworks in a safe manner,” Ortiz said. “You’re dealing with people who are storing fireworks in ways that they’re not supposed to be stored.”
Federal investigators are cautiously searching the warehouse site because of the risk from unexploded materials.
In separate incidents early Thursday morning, a firework detonation killed one person in a burning Simi Valley garage. In the San Francisco Bay Area town of Hayward, two people were critically injured after a fireworks-related house fire.
In addition, seven workers remain missing after a massive explosion Tuesday night engulfed a warehouse holding fireworks in Esparto, about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento, and triggered a days-long evacuation for nearby communities.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community. We are grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and emergency personnel,” Devastating Pyrotechnics, the pyrotechnics business that operated at the Esparto site, said in a statement. “Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.”
Across California, fire officials have been bracing for more pyrotechnic-related fires and urging people to report any signs of nonsanctioned firework activity.
LAFD has been releasing messages all week reminding people that all fireworks are illegal in the city of L.A.
“If you are storing or considering using fireworks this weekend, we beg you to reconsider and attend a professional show,” the fire department said in a public service announcement following the fire in Pacoima. “The most immediate way to render your fireworks inert is to soak them in water. Please step up and take care of your loved ones, pets and neighbors.”
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