Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: The Safford Fire Department extinguished a house fire believed to have started due to the disposal of spent fireworks.
Blaze started by spent fireworks
By Jon Johnson
jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com
Safford – The quick action of a neighbor possibly avoided a catastrophe in the early morning hours of July 4 as he alerted residents to their home being on fire.
According to a Safford Police report, the residents were all asleep when they heard their neighbor banging on their trailer, located on a northeast corner on 900 E. Hollywood Road.
The neighbor had been outside of his home up the road a bit when he noticed the flames. He said he drove his truck to the residence and banged on the trailer to wake up the residents, who all made it out safely. The neighbor then retrieved a garden hose and began spraying the side of the residence where the flames were.
While the residents made it out safely, they advised their children’s pet rabbits were still inside and first responders entered the smoke-filled trailer and rescued them.
An investigation showed the fire started when spent fireworks that were disposed of in a trash dumpster next to the home. The resident advised they had lit off fireworks earlier on their porch and had disposed of them in the trash when they believed they had cooled.
The Safford Fire Department kept the fire contained to the northeast coroner of the residence and then fully extinguished it. The residents were then able to retrieve items out of the home and assess the damage.
