'I Lost Everything': Illegal 4th Of July Fireworks Display Destroys 8 Northridge Apartments
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — An illegal fireworks display in Northridge Saturday resulted in an apartment building catching fire, destroying eight units.
"There were a lot of fireworks. Basically, one of the fireworks on the other side, it kind of skipped over and landed on the palm tree," said Carlos De Santiago, a resident.
The fire resulted in flames spreading to a neighboring apartment building.
As a result, eight units in that complex were destroyed, and five people were injured. Of those, three were taken to a hospital with varying degrees of injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to a few burns. At least one person, however, attempted to jump from a balcony.
Ericka Rivera, a resident, is among those who have now been displaced. "I lost everything, all of our memories. Pictures, everything," she said through tears.
Elsewhere, in South Los Angeles, palm trees similarly caught fire, causing a fireball. Firefighters were able to contain the flames, however.
Firefighters say they responded to 1,738 calls within a 24 hour period from 3 a.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday, as opposed to 1,300 in a 24-hour period.
