A backyard firework that slammed into a palm tree in the Northeast Valley on Saturday night turned a quick celebration into a fast-moving house fire, neighbors and firefighters said. Within minutes, flames had chased six people out of their home and killed the family cat, while windblown embers hopped fences, caught trees and rattled the next street over.
Surveillance shows the spark
Surveillance video from the neighborhood shows a single firework streaking into a palm tree and touching off the blaze. Firefighters later told reporters the fire was started by fireworks. Calls to Las Vegas Fire & Rescue started coming in around 8:30 p.m. Saturday as crews rushed to the scene; the incident left six people homeless and killed the family's cat, according to FOX5 Las Vegas.
Crews stretched by holiday calls
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spent the holiday buried in fireworks-related emergencies. KTNV reported the department handled 85 fireworks-related incidents between the evening of July 4 and early the next morning. That wave, mostly outside fires but including several building calls, left crews with little margin for error on a hot summer night.
Neighbors left shaken and angry
Residents on the block described the fire as both traumatic and infuriating, saying it never should have happened. One neighbor urged people setting off fireworks to be more cautious, saying, "I wish people could do more responsibly." Another called on the neighborhood to "use common sense" and step in to help when fireworks go sideways. Surveillance video and neighbors say embers jumped from the burning palm, carried the fire into trees behind the home and onto the next street, according to FOX5 Las Vegas.
How to reduce the risk
The City of Las Vegas urges residents to stick to approved "Safe-N-Sane" fireworks, keep a hose or bucket of water within reach and clear out dead palm fronds that can turn one stray spark into a flying ember storm, according to the city's safety guide. The Las Vegas Review-Journal has documented how illegal aerial fireworks and backyard displays fuel complaints and fires across the valley, and officials say the smarter move is to skip the DIY show and head to a professional display instead.
