Man could lose arm, leg in fireworks mishap

RENTON, Wash. -- A man seriously injured early Thursday morning in a fireworks mishap could lose his arm and leg, King County Sheriff's Office Spokeswoman Cindi West said.

The accident occurred around 4:30 a.m. in the Fairwood neighborhood of Renton in the 14700 block of SE 176 Street. Renton firefighters responded to calls of a large explosion and a serious injury from a possible "sparkler bomb" - a large collection of sparkler fireworks collected together.

Emergency workers arrived on scene to find a 26-year-old man lying in the street. He was transported to the Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries.

File photo

Neighbors in the area said they awoke when they heard the blast. One neighbor said it was "like a stick of dynamite."

"It was a large explosion," neighbor George Snell said. "I sat straight up in bed and of course just one explosion and I went back to bed but the noise was definitely a lot greater than a typical firework."

Police encouraged both adults and kids to refrain from making homemade explosives.