Massachusetts firefighters were faced with a challenging situation this weekend when an unexpected fireworks display erupted during a massive propane-fueled blaze that destroyed two suburban homes and caused damage to a third. The incident occurred in Spencer, Massachusetts, where emergency crews were already contending with frigid 20-degree temperatures, treacherous icy conditions, and a fierce inferno that erupted on East Avenue around 4 p.m. on Sunday, as reported by CBS News. The fire, which was fueled by propane tanks stored in the basement of one of the residences that was destroyed, presented a complex and dangerous scenario for the responding firefighters.
The situation escalated when the flames encountered a cache of fireworks stored in one of the homes, leading to a dramatic display of explosions that lit up the sky above the small town located approximately 30 minutes west of Worcester. Video footage captured by a neighbor and shared by CBS depicted the fireworks shooting into the air and bursting in a dazzling spectacle, eliciting astonishment from onlookers. Spencer Fire Chief Robert Parsons revealed to WCVB in Massachusetts that upon their arrival, the main house was already engulfed in flames, making the firefighting efforts even more challenging.
The residence where the fire originated was unoccupied at the time, according to officials. Chief Parsons noted that the home, which had a history of a previous fire some 30 years ago, had both an old and a new section, with the blaze believed to have started in the older portion. The destructive force of the fire resulted in the complete destruction of two homes and significant damage to a third structure in the vicinity.
In the aftermath of the incident, the local fire department shared on Facebook that two families in the town had lost all their belongings, while a third household suffered damage to their home. Justin Peck, a resident of one of the affected homes, expressed the emotional toll of the devastation happening so close to the holiday season, remarking, “It’s devastating before Christmas. It just feels like everything’s falling apart.” The community rallied around those impacted by the tragedy, offering support and aid in the wake of the catastrophic loss.
The challenging circumstances faced by the firefighters were compounded when two of their colleagues fell through the ice of a nearby pond while attempting to extract water for firefighting purposes, as the area lacked fire hydrants. Despite the substantial property damage incurred during the incident, there were no reported injuries resulting from the flames, the icy conditions, or the unexpected fireworks display. Both local authorities and the state fire marshal are currently conducting investigations to determine the cause of the blaze, seeking to unravel the events that led to the destructive sequence of events in Spencer, Massachusetts.
