House explosion that killed 1 was sparked by homemade fireworks, police say

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A house explosion in Elizabethtown that left one person dead and five others injured was apparently sparked by homemade fireworks, according to police.

It happened around 10 p.m. Wednesday at a home on New Glendale Road. Investigators said someone was trying to make fireworks in the home when there was an explosion. Seven people were inside. Five were injured, and one person died.

Hardin County Sheriff John Ward said he’s never seen anything quite like it in three decades of law enforcement.

"And I would very much discourage anyone from trying to make their own fireworks because it was a terrible outcome last night," Ward said.

From the outside, the house appears largely undamaged except for some blown out windows. But inside, Ward said it’s a scene of destruction.

"The part of the house that I saw last night, it was just destroyed inside from the explosion," he said.

Ward said the investigation is still in the early stages, but he said something touched off an explosion — either a spark or a chemical reaction — as fireworks were being made inside the home.

Neighbor David Buckles said he heard the blast.

"I heard a big boom," he said. "Sounded like a cannon going off."

Buckles said at first he thought someone may have been celebrating the Fourth of July early.

"Then I got to seeing all these ambulances and fire trucks and stuff going down, and said 'Well, there's something else going on.'"

Buckles said he has met the people who lived in the house, but does not know their names.

"They're just people that wanted to stay by their self," he said.

Ward said this is not something he considers to be a serious problem. In fact, he said he’s never seen it before.

"It's the first time in my career that I've seen that, and I hope it's the last time," he said.

Ward said his office, along with the ATF, state fire marshal and state police are investigating, but he's warning people not to try to make their own fireworks and to be extra careful when using legal ones.