Orland Park House Fire Sparked by Fireworks: Officials

Orland Park fire officials attribute fireworks as the cause of a house fire Friday night.

Firefighters with the Orland Fire Protection District responded to the 11200 block of Poplar Creek Lane in Orland Park around 9 p.m. Friday, just minutes before the city’s official Fourth of July fireworks display was set to begin. Neighbors had spotted flames on the roof of a home in the area, said spokesman Ray Hanania.

The fire was contained to a garage, officials said. 

The fire was traced to fireworks used by someone in the area, officials said. Orland Park police were questioning one person Saturday morning, NBC 5 reports. 

“People watch as fireworks shoot up into the sky, and when done professionally, it is fun. But when it is done individually, the individuals forget that’s sometimes the fireworks can come back down and cause damage to property,” said OFPD Chief Ken Brucki. “Fortunately, this home fire, which we believe was caused by the use of fireworks, did not result in any injuries but it did cause what could have been a major fire that would have changed the lives of the people living in the home.”

“This is another reason why we constantly urge the public to leave the fireworks to the professionals,” said OFPD Board President Jim Hickey. “They look beautiful when they are fired into the sky at night but no one thinks about the consequences of when the fireworks come down on property. You need professionals there to manage the fireworks and professional firefighters on standby to respond to any injuries or fires.”