Fireworks may have started Smith County house fire, marshal says

SMITH COUNTY, Texas ( KETK ) – Smith County fire officials said fireworks may have contributed to a house fire reported Thursday night.

Firefighters were called to a house 16900 block of FM 756 at 11:45 p.m. on Independence Day. Several people were at home at the time of the fire, but were uninjured.

Community Outreach Coordinator Nikki Simmons said this fire spread quickly and was especially hard to fight.

“Where we are in the county, the closet hydrant is about two miles away so in order to tackle a fire like these guys are bringing in what they call tinder trucks,” Simmons explained. “When you have a fire this significant and you only have so much water, and you’re waiting on back up because there’s nowhere to plug into to receive more water, that just continues the chaos.”

Several fire crews from surrounding jurisdictions responded to the fire, which resulted in the home being destroyed.

Smith County Fire Marshal Chad Hogue said preliminary investigation of the fire shows that the fire started in the garage, “and fireworks may have been a contributing factor to the cause of the fire. The investigation is ongoing and no foul play is suspected at this time.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.