The blast blew out the side windows of the apartment, scorching the third-floor apartment above the unit where the explosion occurred.
Crews and residents were sent scrambling, Guzman said.
“It was a big explosion,” said Guzman, who has resided in the apartment complex for 12 years. “Firefighters were ducking for cover.”
Two firefighters were hospitalized with minor burns and hearing injuries as a result of the explosion, said Long Beach Fire Department spokesman Jake Heflin. A third firefighter was hospitalized with burns and a fourth was transported to the hospital after suffering a hearing injury during the incident, Heflin said.
The damage left from a fire at a Belmont Shore apartment building on Friday, June 17, 2022. Photo by Kelly Puente.
The fire was extinguished at around 8:39 a.m. and additional fireworks on the balcony of an unoccupied unit on the second floor were secured minutes later, officials said.
Fire officials said the fire appeared to have started on the second floor and eventually spread to the third floor.
“Fireworks were involved, however, the cause of the fire remains under investigation,” Heflin said.
No residents were hurt in the blaze. At least two people were displaced by the damage caused by the fire.