Fireworks blamed for 4th of July fire that displaced family of 6

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MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – A family of six must thank their dog for making sure they got to safety during a nighttime fire. The family pet reportedly continued to bark in the early hours of Sunday morning until everyone was notified that their Madison house was on fire and they could all escape to safety.

The Independence Day fire, which occurred in the 4700 block of the Star Spangled Trail, is blamed on fireworks that were not properly thrown. Investigators estimate that the fire caused approximately $ 100,000 in damage and displaced the six people, including four children, who lived in the house.

According to the Madison Fire Department, residents said that around 1:30 a.m. their dog kept barking and went to see the family pet, they saw flames come out. from the front bedroom windows. The children, the two adults who live there and the dog all ran to the back of the house, through the patio door to safety.

Firefighters arriving at the scene about five minutes after the first 911 call could see thick smoke and flames when they pulled over, MFD reported. Firefighters immediately attacked the fire from outside the house and, after bringing it under control, checked the inside of the house to make sure the flames had not crept into other areas of the house. structure, like the attic.

The American Red Cross has also responded by offering assistance to displaced families.

MFD spoke to NBC15 about the importance of properly disposing of fireworks once people are done using them.

If it’s something you light on the ground, it should be on concrete so that it doesn’t catch any burning grass or whatever, and then when the fireworks are over, just sprinkle it with water, said Deputy Chief of Medical Affairs Che Stedman. Stedman added for things like sparklers, keep a bucket nearby to put them out.

Stedman also reminded residents that many fireworks that can be purchased from stores are not legal to use inside the city. He said MFD sees a lot of illegal use of fireworks during the holidays.

If it flies up in the sky or shoots out of your hand or something, it’s probably illegal without a permit, so the things that are legal are sparklers, caps, poppers, snakes, things that don’t fly, things that don’t move, things that don’t have a lot of an incendiary nature, Stedman explained.

MFD reported that they regularly see small fires from fireworks as well as occasional injuries. Stedman said to stay safe, not to drink or set off fireworks, and he reminded families to keep an eye out for children and pets when they are near sparklers .

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