One dead after fireworks explosion sets Los Angeles home on fire
A man was killed in Los Angeles after commercial-grade fireworks caused a massive fire at his home, investigators said.
Officials also said a woman, believed to be the man's wife, is hospitalized and fighting for her life after the incident on Thursday night in the Pacoima neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, FOX 11 LA reported.
Crews discovered the man and woman trapped in a home as they were evacuating people in the area. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
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The fire was reported on Thursday at around 9 p.m. and spread to four homes and at least one car. It took nearly an hour for more than 130 firefighters to put out the fire.
The fire department reported a gas leak in one of the homes while responding to the fire. The fire also knocked down several power lines.
"It was very chaotic," Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman David Ortiz told Fox 11 LA. "There were fireworks that were exploding, there were power lines that were down, and a large amount of fire department response flooding into the area."
"It was very similar to a war zone and there were fireworks that were raining down on this neighborhood," he added. "It just seems like we're seeing a lot more of these powerful fireworks being sold out of residential areas."
Video from the scene showed dozens of fireworks exploding, causing a massive fire. Smaller fires were also ignited by fireworks dropping onto the street.
Four other people and several animals were injured in the fire, including a dog taken to an emergency veterinarian.