An 8-year-old girl has died after suffering critical injuries due to a fireworks-related explosion in Buena Park, the city’s police department said in a statement on Saturday.
Officers were patrolling the area on the 8000 block of Cornflower Circle on the Fourth of July at around 9:45 p.m. where they saw a “large quantity of fireworks detonate in this area.”
According to police, a homeowner placed a large illegal fireworks display in the street when it began misfiring toward the home. The fireworks caused other illegal fireworks to ignite near the area where the child and other people were present.
The homeowner was arrested, and charges are pending upon review from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the statement said.
Officers witnessed the moment the young girl’s family members were “frantically carrying a child into a residence” and officers began performing life-saving efforts for the child.
The child suffered critical injuries due to a fireworks-related explosion and was taken to the University of California, Irvine hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
Her identity has not been revealed out of respect for the family.
The incident is currently under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Buena Park Police Department.
The police department is working in collaboration with Orange County Fire Authority investigators and the Orange County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad, the statement said.