Fireworks Claim Multiple Homes In Kansas

The toll from fires blamed on Fourth of July fireworks is adding up around Kansas.

In Hutchinson, authorities estimate the damage at $600,000 from a fire that left a home in ruins and killed a couple’s two dogs. Investigators say Thursday’s pre-dawn blaze apparently began when fireworks landed on the roof from somewhere in the neighborhood.

Fireworks are also suspected in several house fires in the Wichita area.

Even spent fireworks can spark a blaze. WIBW-TV reports a house in Emporia went up in flames Thursday when two children put a couple of spent sparklers in the ground. The sparklers ignited dry grass under the front porch, starting a fire that spread quickly. No one was injured.