Illegal Fireworks Destroy Home In Pasadena, Fire Department Says

PASASDENA, CA — Investigators with the Pasadena Fire Department say a blaze that destroyed a home and six cars on Tuesday was caused by a pair of children playing with illegal fireworks.

No injuries were reported from the fire and the three people who live at the house in the 400 block of Summit Avenue were not at home during the fire, according to the department. Two units of a nearby apartment complex received only minor damage from the fire.

The fireworks and resultant blazed caused more than $1 million in damages, the Pasadena Star-News reported.

A neighbor of the three people who lost their homes started a GoFundMe campaign to help buy them clothing and essentials.

“My neighbors … were displaced when their home was burned down due to illegal fireworks set off by neighborhood kids,” Stacey Strickler said on the campaign’s page. “The home is a complete loss, signifying the loss of three generations of family heirlooms and the family homestead.”

The campaign has raised more than $6,000 of its $15,000 goal as of Thursday afternoon.

The blaze began around 1 p.m. after two boys were playing with an illegal fireworks device, the department said. The device ignited and vegetation nearby caught fire before spreading to the house.

Authorities declined to release any further information about the boys and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The fire occurred less than a week after officials warned residents against using fireworks in the city. It has been illegal to own and set-off fireworks in Pasadena since 2018, officials said during the June 3 press conference.

At least two fires in 2020 were linked directly to illegal fireworks, officials said.