Illegal Fireworks Explode at Home

A Lakewood man was arrested Sunday after illegal fireworks at his home ignited, touching off an explosion that was felt two miles away, authorities said.

Brian Miller, 36, was taken into custody by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shortly after the 6:50 a.m. explosion that knocked his house off its foundation, officials said.

“My crews said it was like a fireworks show when they arrived,” said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Eduardo Osorio. “They saw things shooting up in the air in every direction.”

Osorio said the blast not only shattered windows in nearby homes but sent items from Miller’s residence and garage flying like projectiles.

“We had reports of drill bits being lodged into a neighbor’s wall,” Osorio said. “I personally saw a pair of orange-handled office scissors in the roof of a home around the block.”

Authorities said county fire crews were dispatched to the home in the 6000 block of Dunrobin Avenue at 6:55 a.m. and found Miller, his wife and two small sons outside.

“He claimed he went outside for his morning smoke and all of a sudden his collection of fireworks exploded,” Osorio said.

The explosion was felt by a county fire crew two miles away in Bellflower, Osorio said.

The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes, according to Osorio, who said that Miller was the only person injured. He was treated for minor burns at a local hospital and released.

Osorio said the blast left the home uninhabitable and damaged Miller’s garage and two of his cars.

Miller was being held at the Lakewood sheriff’s station, with bail set at $500,000, according to Deputy Luis Castro.