INDIANAPOLIS — A fire that damaged a duplex and displaced two families Saturday night on the northeast side of Indianapolis was one of dozens of incidents that were blamed on improper fireworks use.
Indianapolis Fire Department Battalion Chief Rita Reith said a 46-year-old man celebrating the Fourth of July told firefighters he was lighting fireworks in his driveway in the 7700 block of Knue Road when one shot straight into his garage instead of going up toward the sky.
The firework lodged in a corner of the garage that housed a lawn mower and several gas cans. Reith said in a news release that "the fire took off and tore through the home causing significant damage."
A family of three and a family of five were displaced in the fire. No people were injured, but Reith said two cats have not been found.
Reith said Indianapolis firefighters responded to approximately 20 trash fires, five vehicle fires, two tree fires and dozens of calls for investigations, all of which were believed to be fireworks-related.
Firefighters also received multiple calls after people suffered injuries while using fireworks.
At about 9:15 p.m., firefighters were getting fuel for a fire engine when they heard a mortar shell-type firework detonate that sounded "extremely loud and awfully close." Reith said the firefighters were flagged down and told someone suffered a severe injury in the 5800 block of Southeastern Avenue. The crew responded and found a 34-year-old man who lost his right hand in the incident.
A 20-year-old woman also lost several fingers after she held and lit what she thought was a smoke bomb, but turned out to be a firework. Reith said the woman who was injured before 10:15 p.m. in the 3100 block of Brandenburg Road was transported to Eskenazi Hospital in serious but stable condition.
At the location where the woman was injured, Reith said firefighters estimated they found approximately 100 teens in the street "that were engaged in overzealous and unsupervised firework activity." Firefighters were told the teens were throwing bottle rockets directly at homes in the area. The firefighters called the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Reith said.
Other fireworks injuries Saturday night included:
- 7:19 p.m.: Hand injury, 5400 block of Sleet Drive
- 8:26 p.m.: Hand injury, 300 block of Hancock Avenue
- 8:58 p.m.: Head injury, 400 block of North Oakland Avenue
- 10:05 p.m.: Burns to leg: 10000 block of Southport Road
- 10:06 p.m.: Eye injury, 10700 block of Lost Pine Lane
- 10:57 p.m.: Face injury, 2800 block of Draper Street
- 11:14 p.m.: Face injury: 6000 block of Meadow Drive
