Anaheim : Teen-Agers’ Fireworks Ignites $150,000 Blaze

Teen-agers playing with fireworks Friday afternoon caused blazes that gutted one house and caused minor damage to four other homes on North Holbrook Street, Fire Battalion Chief Charles Kanenbley said. There was one minor injury--a cut finger--he said.

A house was virtually destroyed at 1773 N. Holbrook, Kanenbley said. Its roof fell through to the floor, causing an estimated $150,000 damage damage to the structure an about $50,000 damage to its contents. A house at 1761 N. Holbrook had “moderate damage” to its roof, and homes at 1781, 1785 and 1805 N. Holbrook all had “minor damage,” Kanenbley said. Damage costs to those homes was not immediately available.

The American Red Cross is providing temporary lodging and meals to the burned-out family, said John Hall of Westminster, a volunteer for the agency.

Kanenbley said the fires broke out about 4:40 p.m. Friday, a few minutes after neighbors ordered teen-agers in the area to stop shooting off bottle-rocket-type fireworks. Those fireworks are illegal throughout California. However, any type of fireworks, including the kind called “safe and sane,” are also now illegal in Anaheim.

The battalion chief said his investigation determined the fires were started by the bottle rockets. “Both the fires and 1773 and 1761 North Holbrook started about the same time on the roof,” he said. Those blazes then triggered the other fires, he said.

The only injury was a cut finger suffered by a neighbor, who could not be immediately identified, as he was helping move out items from a fire-threatened house, Kanenbley said.

He said the teen-agers who allegedly shot off the fireworks weren’t identified and had not been apprehended by late Friday night.