Illegal fireworks ignited a blaze in southern California over the weekend that destroyed six homes and caused $10m in damages, officials said this week.
The Hawarden fire in Riverside county has scorched 527 acres, damaged seven homes and cost the county more than $1m in emergency response, Patricia Lock Dawson, the city’s mayor, said at a press conference on Monday.
At least two people have been injured, according to the California department of forestry and fire protection.
Arson investigators determined that the “horrendous” fire was sparked by fireworks, and camera footage has shown suspects fleeing the area and a “vehicle of interest”, Lock Dawson said. Authorities are searching for suspects in the fire.
“This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of why fireworks are illegal in our community,” Lock Dawson said, citing the area’s dry brush, varied terrain and high temperatures that make it particularly at risk for fires. “Unfortunately some individuals have chosen to disregard these dangers.”
The blaze in southern California comes as the west faces a grueling fire season, particularly in the Pacific north-west, and back-to-back heatwaves. Firefighters in Oregon are battling a nearly 245,000-acre fire that has become so large it is creating its own weather.
This summer, cities and counties across California banned the use of fireworks and cancelled planned Fourth of July events due to the risk of fire. Fireworks have caused more than $46m in property losses in the state over the last decade with more than 10,500 fires in total, according to Cal Fire.
Daniel Berlant, the state fire marshal, said at a press conference earlier this month that the state had seized more than 120 tons of illegal fireworks. Illegal fireworks or improper use of fireworks can state a fire in seconds, he said.
“With conditions that we have right now, that fire can easily spread and do major destruction,” he said.
In Riverside, Lock Dawson said those found responsible for the Hawarden fire, which as of Wednesday was 60% contained, will be prosecuted.
“Our investigators will continue relentlessly until we are assured that the suspects have been caught,” the mayor said. “And let me be clear, we will ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
