It was about 9:30 p.m. on the Fourth of July when Staci Faria of 4 Evening Star Drive heard the pop pop of fireworks. Nothing unusual for that day and time.
What followed was another story.
“Five minutes later everything was in flames,” Faria said. “My husband was screaming ‘Fire!’ I’m assuming that pop pop is what set it all on fire.”
She was correct.
Her backyard shed, as well as three other backyard sheds that belonged to neighbors, caught fire from fireworks being shot off at a neighbor’s house.
And on Tuesday, after applying for a warrant, Seymour police arrested 23-year-old James Joss of Shelton. His crime — amateur Fourth of July fireworks display gone horribly wrong.
Joss couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.
Police believe Joss was at a friend’s house at 6 Evening Star Drive July 4 setting off fireworks.
Some embers from the airborne fireworks landed throughout the yard. Joss and unnamed parties stomped them out, then walked to the other side of the house, police said.
Unfortunately, they didn’t put out embers that landed near a shed on the property.
“We surmised that since the shed had a lot of dead branches and leaves and pine needles on top of it, the embers from the fireworks fell down and caught the shed on fire,” Seymour Fire Marshal Paul Wetowitz said.
The fire spread to three other sheds on neighboring properties.
The fire department arrived in time to pull two propane tanks out of Faria’s storage shed before they burned, she said. She lost some lawn equipment in the blaze.
The four damaged sheds were in the backyards of 6 Evening Star, 4 Evening Star, and 35 Jupiter Drive.
Total damage amount — $20,000.
Joss was charged with third-degree arson, a felony, and possession of illegal fireworks. He was released on a promise to appear in court Aug. 29.
The arson charge was made because he allegedly recklessly caused the destruction of a building by intentionally starting a fire or
explosion, Wetowitz said.
“Basically, he intentionally lit the fireworks, it caused an explosion, and that’s what caused the fire,” Wetowitz said.
