North Carolina Brush Fire Ignites Fireworks, Killing One, Injuring Three Firefighters

A brush fire on a North Carolina farm caused fireworks to explode inside a container where they were stored, killing one person and injuring three firefighters Friday, authorities said.

Lenoir County Emergency Services Director Murry Stroud told broadcast outlet WITN of Greenville that one person was confirmed dead from the afternoon blast and three firefighters were hurt, one of them in critical condition.

Stroud said firefighters were dispatched to put out a reported brush fire at a farm in La Grange as flames were approaching a building. He said fields were being burned off when the fire spread and detonated the fireworks stored in a container.

The identities of the dead and injured were not immediately released. Authorities told the station a representative for the property was the person who died at the scene.