Peoria's Fourth of July celebrations took a precarious turn as fireworks are believed to be the cause of two separate house fires that left ten residents displaced. According to ABC15, one of the fires erupted late Friday night, engulfing the attic of a home near 67th Avenue and Jomax Road. Alerted by the incident, fire crews from Peoria, Glendale, and Phoenix sped to the scene and managed to confine the blaze, preventing it from claiming the entire roof.
The firefighting teams exhibited commendable efficiency as they quickly extinguished the fires, though ten people found themselves without a home. Fortunately, per reports from the American Red Cross, those affected are receiving assistance for temporary housing. Battalion Chief Ken Wier, with Peoria Fire-Medical Department, reflected on the night's events in a statement reported by AZFamily, noting that the Fourth of July is "historically, just July 4th on its own is our busiest night."
In another incident that evening, fire crews responded to a blaze near 75th Avenue and Deer Valley Road around 9:30 p.m. The cause of both fires remains under investigation, but initial insights suggested they started when used fireworks were improperly disposed of in trash bins, leading to the conflagration. "On Fourth of July, it’s very common for homeowners to use fireworks and then once the festivities are over they put them in their garbage can. But a lot of times when they do that the fireworks aren’t completely extinguished," explained Wier to azfamily.com.
While there were no injuries reported, the fires have stirred concerns among local residents. Sean Koester, whose parents reside near the affected area, expressed his unease about the dangers posed by fireworks. "Pretty scary, I think we should have a designated probably let these off so that this kind of stuff doesn’t happen," Koester told AZFamily. Despite the potential risks, the sale and use of consumer fireworks on private properties remains legal in Arizona through Sunday.
Wier offered advice for future celebrations, emphasizing caution and proper extinguishment of fireworks. "Always make sure that the area you’re using them is open and clear, that you’re not near any structures or anything flammable. Number two, I would say never let your children play with fireworks and three, an issue that we run into is that when you’re done using them, treat them like you would a campfire. Meaning completely deluge them with water, perhaps put them in a bucket of water," he outlined in advice shared by AZFamily. With these measures, Wier and local fire officials hope to abate the annual rise in fire incidents associated with the holiday festivities.
