MESA, Ariz. — One adult, two children and two dogs were displaced after a fire broke out at a home in Mesa Sunday night, the city's fire and the medical department said.
An initial investigation into the fire showed "improperly discarded fireworks were most certainly the cause," officials said.
Firefighters from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, along with crews from Gilbert Fire and Rescue, responded to the house fire report late Sunday night, officials said. They saw a small two-story home with heavy fire showing from the roof when they arrived.
The fire crews tried to enter the home to search for victims inside but were inhibited from entering, firefighters said. They immediately upgraded to a first alarm and began fighting the fire from the exterior, making efforts to protect the other nearby homes being threatened by the large volume of fire.
It was later discovered that the occupants of the home exited safely, firefighters said. No firefighters or civilians were injured during the incident.
"The Mesa Fire and Medical Department cannot stress enough that use fireworks is dangerous and often better left to the professionals, but if members of our community plan on using legal fireworks please ensure that they are properly disposed of and not just thrown away in a trash can," the department said. "Fireworks often retain heat which can be transferred to items within the enclosed trash can causing a fire that can quickly spread to your home."
The family set up a GoFundMe account to help with expenses.