New video shows the moment fireworks ignited in deadly explosion in Pacoima neighborhood
PACOIMA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A neighborhood is in recovery days after a deadly fireworks explosion destroyed several homes in Pacoima.
The devastating fireworks explosion took the life of one man and destroyed multiple homes on Thursday night. New video shows just how close residents were to the danger.
A neighbor's ring doorbell camera captured video of the moment the explosion went off. You can see the fireworks explode into the air while neighbors run. The fireballs rained down on the neighborhood, sparking fires.
Eyewitness News spoke to one of the families impacted. Bryan Garcia took Eyewitness News inside what used to be his family's home.
"Three of the bedrooms are just completely destroyed," Garcia said, walking through the ruins.
His mother's patio, garden, and sanctuary for her 13 pet birds were also destroyed. The family said they were unfortunately unable to escape.
Every inch of their home was ravaged when their neighbor's illegal fireworks went off next door.
"Everybody knows that we can't use this kind of fireworks because any moment, something can happen," Martha Reyna said. "People don't listen. People don't follow the rules."
The explosion happened off Corcoran Street in Pacoima just after 9 p.m. on Thursday.
SEE ALSO: 'It's just so tragic:' Residents left in shock after deadly fireworks explosion in Pacoima
A witness captured video of the horrifying scene.
"There's two houses on fire! 'Hey, we need water hoses,'" said Juan Garcia, who took the video.
One neighbor who didn't want to go on camera said the explosions felt like a prolonged earthquake.
"We dropped down to the ground and, within seconds, everything just started catching fire," the neighbor said. "It just felt like we were under some type of attack."
It took more than 100 firefighters to extinguish the massive fire. One woman was taken to the hospital with severe burns. A man's body was found in one of the four homes destroyed in the blast.
"I was devastated. I was really, really sad about what happened. Not only because of the damage of the houses, but also the person who's dead," Reyna said.
Reyna's family is raising money through GoFundMe to help rebuild.
While sifting through the ash and debris of their home, she said she found a symbol of hope.
"It's a bible here. All the pages were burned around, but the words, the text, the words are still there," Reyna said.
Firefighters say one of the damaged homes had a large supply of illegal fireworks inside. The investigation into the deadly incident is ongoing.
