PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Fire crews are still on the scene of a raging fire on Church Street in Lebanon as police investigate what started the flames and if fireworks may be to blame.
As a result of the fire, a building has collapsed. The building has been confirmed to be a Consolidated Scrap Resources (CSR) location, a recycling business. Fire Commissioner Duane Troutman referenced the economic impact the destruction of this CSR location will have on the local community.
Troutman also expressed frustration as crews arrived around 10:30 p.m. on July 4 after reports of a large plume of fire in the sky.
"We were already unnerved by the explosion and they're going up overhead, big booms, fireworks, while we're here fighting this you know," Troutman said.
As for reports of if the fire was caused by fireworks Troutman said, "We can't prove it. It's under investigation."
He added about the issue of fireworks: "...the indiscriminate, inconsiderate and really reckless use of fireworks in Lebanon and elsewhere. I know York had a house fire. It's disgusting. And this is all because of the state legislature and this fireworks law and their greedy little fingers and an 18% tax on these fireworks and these aerial fireworks. If this is caused by that, well this is just one more thing against that."
Other areas of South Central Pennsylvania have seen firework-related fatalities and destruction in the past weekend.
Saturday, a child in West York died of burn injuries from a fire at a duplex-style home. The cause of that fire was due to improperly discarded fireworks.
Ephrata police have confirmed discarded fireworks are also to blame for flames that broke out at a salt garage.
"The person that disposed of these didn't know that the heat that remained with the fireworks was going to cause the contents of the dumpster to start on fire," Sgt. Snavely of the Ephrata Police Department said.
He said the people discarding the fireworks should have soaked them in water before disposing of them.
Sgt. Snavely is reminding everyone to abide by their municipality's law in regards to the use of fireworks.
A firefighter has minor burns to his hand after touching a fire engine that had become too hot in the sun. No other injuries have been reported.