A 48-year-old man died after a house explosion in the southwest part of Wichita Sunday afternoon; a police spokesperson identified the victim as Kendal James. Investigators are looking into whether fireworks were being made in the home.
Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief Jose Ocadiz said 911 got calls about a fire at a home near Parkridge & Blake late Sunday afternoon; that's near 119th Street West & Pawnee. 911 dispatchers also received follow-up calls about explosions at the address.
Firefighters witnessed one of the explosions, and had to fight the fire defensively.
“While we were still deploying our line and beginning our fire attack, that other explosion, once that one occurred, our incident commander right away moved our crews back and we were able to use our water streams to be able to get from a distance that’s going to be safe for them and try to knock a majority of the fire down,” Ocadiz said.
He said the explosions appeared to be from fireworks in the home.
“There have been some reports of, initially, of fireworks being manufactured, so right now, all of that information is still being reviewed,” Ocadiz said. “He was known to be able to have fireworks here at this location, so I don’t know if the police department would have any additional information from that standpoint, but that’s just the information as the investigation continues to go on.”
He was asked if the fire department found commercial fireworks in the home.
“Don’t know exactly the types of fireworks or the chemicals that were involved in the fire itself,” he said. “The Wichita Police Department responded with their EOD (explosive ordinance disposal) team, and they did find some fireworks that they were able to take off-site and take it to their bomb range, but at this time right now, it’s unknown specific types and kinds of and the amount of fireworks.”
He said the Kansas Fire Marshal’s Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting the WFD with the investigation. He said that is not unusual in fatal fires.
Firefighters said they found the pets that died during the incident.
Resident Craig Hubbard lives nearby.
“I just heard a huge explosion, like a bomb going off, and it rattled like the windows,” he said. “The third explosion happened as I was standing there, and debris landed everywhere, and some went back behind me, and I was starting to walk off, and some lady is like, ‘This is on fire over here,’ like some shingles caught on fire on the grass back behind me."
“Pretty mellow neighborhood … everyone’s pretty mellow,” Hubbard said. “Nothing crazy ever happens, but yeah, that changed today for sure.”