California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
A fire that began in a Victorville neighborhood and raged through the hills, was started by illegal fireworks. ABC 7 News reported that after the fire began an explosion and a wind gust spread the fire quickly. The fire caused damage to several homes and yards, though luckily, due to the quick response of firefighters, no homes were completely lost. One resident stated, “I pulled [my] curtain open, I looked through the blinds, and all I saw was a huge fire right above our house, it looked like it was going to fall into our back yard.” Fortunately for those who set off the illegal fireworks, there were no personal injuries caused by the fire.
Southern California fire marshals have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to illegal fireworks because of how dangerous they can be in the dry, fire-prone, Southern California environment. With the 4th of July just around the corner, residents in this Victorville neighborhood are urging people to remember that when “You shoot off a firework, and it only takes one spark for it to light a whole street on fire, if it wasn’t for the fire department being right up that street, who knows what would have happened?”
When a person causes a fire through means such as illegal fireworks, they will likely face criminal charges including hefty fines. However, that person can also face civil liability if anyone gets hurt. Fires spread quickly and can cause minor to serious injuries including smoke inhalation and severe burns.
When a fire is caused by another person’s negligence or intentional careless act, like in this case, and someone is injured, there may be a possible Southern California personal injury claim against the responsible party. Fire victims should immediately contact a Southern California personal injury attorney to investigate the cause of the fire and determine if there is a source for monetary recovery.
The personal injury law office of Gary K. Walch, has handled personal injury cases throughout California, including Victorville, for over 30 years. We work on fire injury cases and we offer a free consultation. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a fire caused by the negligent or reckless actions of another, contact us today!