East Ferry townhome catches fire from fireworks

A townhome in Buffalo caught fire early Thursday morning. The Buffalo Fire Department said it was likely caused from a firework that was never completely out, located inside a plastic garbage can after their initial survey of the scene.

“A safer way to discard them is to drown them and what I mean by that is to put them in a trash container, preferably metal, and you just put your hose on them until they’re completely submerged," Buffalo Fire Department Battalion Chief, Thomas Breski said. 

The homeowners were disturbed early this morning when getting ready to go to work. 

"I was sitting down on the couch and we just heard this big boom," homeowner, Joyce Hairsmalls said. 

The damage is currently set at $35,000 for the structure and $20,000 for the contents. Breski was adamant by saying firework users can never be too careful when setting them off. 

"We tell people to use common sense, obviously fireworks, they have gunpowder in them, phosphates, phosphorous and stuff that's why they have the sparkles and the nice beautiful show," Breski said. "They are dangerous, especially when put into a trashcan and not properly disposed of.”

Hairsmalls still holds onto her suspicion, though, that there was some foul play involved despite the report from the fire department.

"Someone lit my house on fire," Hairsmalls said, after claiming that her neighbor saw someone flee into their car behind the townhomes. 

The homeowner said that they hosted a family and friends cookout Wednesday night and did light fireworks off.