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.

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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.