This was no reason to celebrate.
Firefighters in Massachusetts were left scrambling over the weekend when two suburban homes were destroyed and a third was damaged when an accidental firework exploded in a massive propane-fueled fire. .
Crews in Spencer, Massachusetts, were already battling frigid 20-degree temperatures, dangerously icy conditions and the brutal inferno that exploded on East Avenue around 4 p.m. Sunday. CBS News reported.
But the huge fire, fed by a propane tank stored in the basement of one of the destroyed homes, wasn't the only problem.
At one point, the flames reached various fireworks stored in the house, sending a spectacular spectacle flying across the sky in all directions over the small town about 30 minutes west of Worcester.
Video taken by a neighbor and released by CBS showed fireworks shooting into the sky and exploding as shocked onlookers screamed in surprise.
“The main building was initially empty,” said Spencer Fire Chief Robert Parsons. He told WCVB in Massachusetts. “It was well involved when we pulled over.”
Officials said the home was unoccupied at the time of the fire.
“In an instant, this house fell apart,” Parsons said. “This was an old house. There was a fire here about 30 years ago, so there was an old section and a new section leading up to the home. We believe it started with the old section.”
“Tonight, two families in town lost everything and a third had their home damaged,” the local fire department later said in a Facebook post.
“It's miserable before Christmas,” said Justin Peck, who lived in the holiday home. “It feels like everything is falling apart.”
Officials said two firefighters fell into the ice while trying to draw water from the depths of a nearby pond because there are no fire hydrants in the area.
Despite catastrophic property damage, no one was injured by the blaze, frigid conditions or the impromptu Fourth of July display.
Local authorities and the state fire marshal are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.
