Resident’s Fireworks Blamed in Condo Fire

Cypress police arrested a man Sunday for allegedly igniting aerial fireworks in a Cypress condominium bedroom, causing a fire that did $135,000 in damage and forced the predawn evacuation of occupants from four nearby condos.

“Without a doubt, this man jeopardized the health and safety of his neighbors living nearby,” said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Miller.

Miller said he found the incident especially difficult to comprehend in the aftermath of the Rhode Island tragedy where a nightclub inferno started by a band’s pyrotechnic devices killed at least 97 people.

Luis Chavez, 33, was arrested on suspicion of causing a fire in an occupied building, possession of an explosive device and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, said Cypress Police Lt. Jeff Kepley.

According to fire authority investigators, Chavez ignited illegal pyrotechnic devices inside a second-floor bedroom at 5445 Twin Lakes Drive about 5:14 a.m. Why he set off the fireworks in a closed area remained unclear, Miller said.

“I do not know what motivated the man,” Miller said.

The suspect shared the condo with two men. One of the men, a 50-year-old, complained of smoke inhalation but declined treatment, Miller said. A third man, 34 years old, was uninjured.

It took firefighters about 25 minutes to get the blaze under control. The condo was severely damaged, and two nearby units sustained water damage. Damage to the structure was estimated at $85,000 with loss to contents at about $50,000.

As firefighters sifted through the debris, they said they found more illegal fireworks that they say posed a threat to their safety and that of residents in the adjoining condos, which were evacuated for nearly eight hours.

As a precaution, the Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad was called in to examine and collect the unexploded fireworks, which were described as “nearly commercial-grade” pyrotechnics.

“We’re not talking about little bottle rockets here, we’re talking pyrotechnics,” Miller said.

“This is extremely dangerous. These are very hazardous and when exposed to heat and water could become extremely unstable.”

The American Red Cross provided assistance to evacuees.