California has seen a spate of accidental fireworks explosions leading up to the Fourth of July, with a Wednesday morning detonation killing one person in a Simi Valley home and a similar incident critically injuring two people in a Bay Area residence.
The Ventura County Fire Department responded to a residential structure fire in the 1600 block of Edmund Street at 11:48 a.m. where a body was found in a burning garage, said department spokesperson Andy VanSciver.
Then at 12:18 p.m., police and fire officials responded to a house fire involving a fireworks-related explosion more than 350 miles up the coast in Hayward, according to the city’s Police Department. Two people were transported to a hospital in critical condition. Police said illegal fireworks may have been manufactured at the home.
In Simi Valley, 911 callers reported seeing fireworks exploding from the garage of the home on Edmund Street, VanSciver said.
It is unclear whether the fireworks started the fire or ignited as a result of the blaze, said VanSciver, adding that the incident is under investigation. The identity of the person killed has not been released.
The fire spread quickly, consuming the garage, attic and main areas of the home and sending massive plumes of dark smoke into the air above the residential street. The Simi Valley Police Department urged members of the public to avoid the area as fire crews worked to get a handle on the blaze.
The incident was classified as a two-alarm fire, meaning that multiple fire crews and engines were needed. Crews knocked down the blaze at 12:42 p.m. and remained on scene as of 3 p.m., VanSciver said.
VanSciver urged all residents to “leave the shows to the pros” and refrain from purchasing and detonating their own fireworks during the holiday.
“Fireworks are not legal in the cities of Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, Port Hueneme, Simi Valley, or Thousand Oaks — and are also not permitted in unincorporated areas of Ventura County,” the department states on its website. “The fire prevention professionals at VCFD strongly discourage the use of any and all fireworks. … We also remind you that use or possession of fireworks could result in a fine — and possibly even a jail term.”
Meanwhile in Hayward, fire crews responded to what officials said was an accidental fireworks explosion near the 27000 block of Mandarin Avenue, according to the Hayward Police Department.
Upon arriving, crews found a man suffering from injuries consistent with a fireworks-related explosion. A second explosion then took place, prompting the evacuation of the home and nearby properties, police said.
Fire crews were able to quickly contain the fire started by the second explosion to the garage, preventing flames from spreading to the rest of the house or adjacent properties. A specialized team from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office was brought in to help safely remove and dispose of any explosives remaining inside the home, police said.
All fireworks are illegal within the city of Hayward.
Aerial footage captured by CBS News showed significant damage to the roof and side of the building.
The incidents come two days after a massive fireworks explosion at a warehouse holding fireworks in Esparato, a rural area around 40 miles northwest of Sacramento.
Seven workers remained unaccounted Thursday after the fiery explosion, which triggered a 78-acre wildfire that crews were still working to contain.
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