CHINO, Calif. — One woman died and three others were injured, including a child, in a fireworks explosion in Chino, California, on the Fourth of July, authorities said.
Witnesses said a large group was gathered for a Fourth of July party when someone began lighting off fireworks.
According to the Chino Police Department, detectives believe a large quantity of fireworks ignited, causing the explosion that seriously injured three adults and a child and set a vehicle on fire.
Terrifying video shows the seconds after the cache of fireworks exploded. Residents were heard screaming for help. Minutes later, a car was engulfed in flames.
Another video shows the moment first responders rushed to the scene. An injured man was seen being treated.
Three adults were transported to local hospitals with severe injuries. One of the victims, described only as a woman in her 20s, later died from her injuries, police said. The other two victims are expected to survive.
A fourth victim, described by police as a juvenile, was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and has since been released to a parent or guardian.
During the investigation, police detained Derion Tradon James Jr., a 28-year-old Hesperia resident. He was later booked at the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.
Video from our sister station KABC showed debris scattered across a front yard and nearby street in the aftermath of the explosion.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as people ran from the area immediately after the blast.
“Back up, back up, back up… everybody get back!” one person can be heard saying in video recorded at the scene.
Eyewitness Gabriel Gilmore said he was inside his mother’s house when he heard the blast and rushed outside to see what had happened.
“It clearly looked like there was a bunch of illegal fireworks in the trunk,” Gilmore said. “I don’t know how the trunk got lit up, but obviously, you could see from the video that the truck hatch was busted open, and that was where the point of the explosion was.”
KABC spoke to other neighbors who also ran over when they heard the blast. They said people were screaming to get back, and are now devastated to learn that someone lost their life.
“Everyone was saying, ‘Get back! Get Back!’ I just tried to keep my kids and our family over here, because we had family over, and it was just really scary,” said neighbor Stephanie Moreno. “It’s a shame to see that not all the families got to walk away.”
Witnesses said a nearby palm tree also briefly caught on fire.
Investigators were seen searching the neighborhood Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
A car with broken windows sat in the driveway of the home on Sunday. A KABC crew at the scene watched as the homeowner replaced the fence that was destroyed with a blue tarp.
The Chino Police Department is leading the investigation and is working with the Chino Valley Fire District and the Onrario Fire Bomb Squad. The criminal case will be submitted to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office for review.
The incident remains under investigation.
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