Investigators say that illegal fireworks caused a fire that damaged a home in Santa Maria. Fire crews responded just before 1:00 am Wednesday to the 600 block of East Daniel reported in the southeast section of the city and found a single story-single family residence with fire spreading on the roof of the home in multiple areas, and neighbors were attempting to get the fire out using a garden hose. Firefighters made an aggressive attack and brought the fire under control within an hour.
A family of five was able to escape the home safely, thanks to working smoke detectors.
The family reported hearing fireworks about an hour before they realized the roof of the home had caught fire. Damage estimates were reported at $150,000 to the structure and $75,000 to the contents.