The Los Angeles Fire Department said crews responded to Crescent Inn in the 1100 block of W. Pacific Coast Highway at about 8:30 p.m. for reports of two cars catching on fire in the parking lot.
Investigators say commercial-grade fireworks went off near some cars in the parking lot, causing an explosion and subsequent fires.
Video shot by a witness shows a car completely engulfed in flames outside the motel as fireworks go off. The car the victim was driving reportedly caught on fire, and the explosion of flames sparked a second fire on another vehicle.
After applying foam and knocking the fires down, firefighters discovered what appeared to be "potentially dangerous explosives/fireworks" near the vehicles. The fireworks were described as "commercial-grade."
Because of the discovery of the illegal fireworks, the motel was evacuated, in addition to a single-family home next door, as the bomb squad swarmed the area. In total, 10 adults and two children were displaced before they were allowed to return home around 2 a.m. Saturday.
One person was rushed to the hospital in very critical condition, according to LAFD. Authorities say he suffered severe trauma.
"It sounded like a bomb going off. A couple of bombs... when I went to the door, the bright lights, the fire, the flames. Then I heard the guy yelling. He was laying on the ground, but nobody could get to him. A couple people had hoses, a couple people had fire extinguishers, but the extinguishers couldn't put that out," one witness said. "He was burning. He was yelling, moaning, and like I said, nobody could get close to him."
LAFD arson investigators responded to the scene. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.