Rogue firework sparks Chesterfield Township house fire, firefighter hospitalized for heat exhaustion

CHESTERFIELD TWP (WWJ) Fireworks apparently caused a large July 4th house fire in Macomb County, fire officials said.

Chesterfield Fire Chief Craig Miller told WWJ’s Jon Hewett they received a 911 call of a house fire on Fairwood Drive (26000 block), near 21 Mile and Gratiot in Chesterfield Township, on July 4th around 10:45 p.m.

They arrived at a two-story house “with a lot of fire showing,” Miller said.

The homeowners told fire officials they were using fireworks—and one of the fireworks fell behind the garage and sparked the flames.

Miller said they’re “continuing their investigation,” but everything so far points to fireworks as the cause.

In a statement on Facebook , the department said paramedics took a firefighter to McLaren for heat exhaustion.

No one else was injured, they said.

"The fire was quickly contained and damage to the home was extensive, with damage to a neighboring house from high heat," the department said.

Miller said the safest option is to take your family to a professionally done fireworks show.

“(Fireworks) are explosives, they’re incendiary,” Miller said. “There’s no control over them when they leave the tube.”

He added statistics show that an average house fire grows out of control in about three minutes: “That’s about all the time you have to escape when a fire takes place.”