The Bridgeport fire Marshal’s office has concluded its initial investigation of this incident. This was a tragic accident. What appears to have happened is that when the family living at 1248 Lindley St. in Bridgeport lost power as a result of last night’s thunderstorms, and an attempt was made to go to Home Depot to purchase emergency lighting. Home Depot was closed.
The family remembered that when they purchased their home two years ago, there were a couple of what they thought were candles left in the basement by the previous residents of the home or homeowners. The woman who is the victim in this accident is aged approximately 30 years old, the mother of two children. Her Entire family (victim plus husband and two children) was home at the time of this incident.
She attempted to light one of what she thought was the candle and turned out to be a quarter stick of dynamite. She suffered extreme injuries to one of her hands including potential he the loss of more than one of her fingers. She also suffered serious injuries to her face and was taken to Bridgeport Hospital. She was since then transferred to Yale new haven hospital and is currently there for treatment. No one else in the home was injured as a result of this incident.
The home was searched and the other dynamite device was found and removed by the Bridgeport fire department and the Connecticut State police, it was later detonated and disposed of by the state police. Homes surrounding this home on either side also searched as a precaution but no other explosive devices without were found.
It is against the law to possess dynamite or fireworks or firecrackers in CT. Since this appears to have been an accident in the residents of this home had no Prior knowledge that what they had in their home were explosive devices not permitted by law, the Bridgeport police will not be pressing any charges as a result of this incident at this time.
There are two lessons learned from this tragedy that are important to members of the public to be reminded of. The first lesson is if you discover something in your home, that looks like something Related to flame or fire and you do not know what it is, immediately contact your local fire department. The second important lesson to remember is to always have back up auxiliary lighting in the case where you lose power and do not have lighting in your home. Preferably the lighting should be battery-operated, glow stick, or hand crank lighting so as to avoid the risk of fire damage.
8:52pm–#Bridgeport CT– A woman in the 1200 block of Lindley Street went to go light a candle during the power outage. Bridgeport Police Chief AJ Perez said: “The victim thought she was lighting a candle, but it was actually a pyrotechnic device — a large powerful firecracker called a ‘quarter-stick’. The explosion blew off both of the woman’s hands, and she was rushed to St. Vincent’s Medical Center.” “Tragically, quarter-sticks do look like candles,” says Perez.
The incident happened in front of her children, her 12-year-old son made the call to 911. Police spokesperson Av Harris said a second device was discovered in the home and neighbors next to her house had been evacuated as a precaution. The bomb squad was called in to remove the device and the fire marshal is investigating.
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