Long Island child burns down 2 homes with fireworks, police say. Here's who they're charging.
LEVITTOWN, N.Y. -- A Long Island man is accused of giving 4th of July fireworks to an 11-year-old child, sparking a fire that damaged both his and his neighbor's homes.
Police said they responded to several fireworks-related incidents Thursday across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Karamjit Singh, 33, of Levittown, was charged with arson, reckless endangerment, unlawfully selling fireworks to someone under 18, unlawfully possessing fireworks and endangering the welfare of a child.
Nassau County Police said he supplied the 11-year-old with the fireworks and then told the child to light them. The fireworks malfunctioned, causing a shed to burst into flames.
The flames spread to Singh's home on Red Maple Drive North and to his neighbor's house, police said.
Neighbor Maiya Ramos says she was at a friend's home when the fire broke out and her parents are away on vacation.
"I got a text from my neighbor that there was a huge fire and that our house had been melted from it," she said. "Just grateful I wasn't home and that no one was hurt."
No one was hurt, but a tenant living in Singh's home was displaced, and both houses were badly damaged.
4th of July fireworks lead to several injuries on Long Island
At least five people were hurt and several cars were damaged by 4th of July fireworks on Long Island.
Suffolk County Police said they responded to two incidents Thursday night -- one in Port Jefferson Station and another in Copiague.
A large group had gathered to watch a fireworks display at a home on Foxrun Court in Port Jefferson Station when one went astray, police said. It happened around 10 p.m.
Four people, including an 8-year-old girl, were injured, and several cars on the block were damaged.
Police said a 30-year-old man was treated for burns and a severed finger and a 38-year-old man was treated for burns and a serious leg injury. A 30-year-old woman and the 8-year-old girl were treated for minor injuries.
Dozens of boxes remained in the street Friday, and remnants of fireworks were left for neighbors to clean up.
"Fireworks are always something to be careful of," neighbor Chase DeLuca said. "It's cool people want to watch it, but if you want to, the towns put on shows, the fire department, and it's just safer that way.
Earlier in Copiague, a firework exploded in a man's hand, causing serious injuries. Police said the 21-year-old was lighting fireworks at a party on Trouville Road when he was hurt.
The explosion severed three fingers and damaged the other two on his left hand. He also suffered burns to his leg.
All of the victims are expected to survive their injuries.
Fireworks blamed for thousands of injuries, fires each year
Ahead of the holiday, Suffolk County officials warned people about the dangers of transporting and setting off fireworks.
"[There were] 9,700 injuries last year alone related to firework injuries," said Dominick Thorne, Legislative Chair for Fire Rescue and Emergency Services in Suffolk County.
Officials said about a quarter of emergency room injuries are caused by sparklers, which can burn between 1,200 and 2,000 degrees. For reference, a match is 800 degrees.
"You wouldn't give a child a match, why would you give a child a sparkler?" said Rudy Sunderman, Deputy Commissioner for Fire, Resuce & Emergency Services for Suffolk County.
Sunderman added in addition to injuries, fireworks were blamed for 19,000 fires last year in the U.S.
Police said they planned to ramp up enforcement with undercover operations and extra patrols to combat drunk driving and boating.
