Illegal fireworks torched a building in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on Monday, according to the state Fire Marshal’s office.
Chelsea firefighters confirmed they responded to the fire on the back porch of a building on Wesley Street around 12:50 p.m. No one was injured, but there was water damage to the building and the family was unable to return immediately.
The State Fire Marshal’s office said they determined that fireworks ignited the flames. Fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts, and state officials say this is one reason.
“Under other circumstances, this fire could have spread to the building. Because indoor smoke alarms cannot detect an outdoor fire until it reaches a dangerous size, the result could have been catastrophic,” a spokesperson for the bureau wrote in an email.
Authorities said the person who set off the fireworks does not live in the house. Massachusetts State Police seized more fireworks that were found nearby.
