POTTSVILLE — A 48-year-old man faces a city ordinance citation after police say a firework he set off damaged a wooden fence and a nearby home on Sunday evening, .
Police responded to 1300 Block of Mt. Hope Avenue just before 7 p.m. for a reported explosion with property damage. An officer found damage to the home’s siding and a wooden fence behind the property. Firefighters also responded to help determine the cause.
While examining the area, the officer found a spent firework labeled “Vampire Killer” near the damaged fence, which belonged to a 74-year-old Pottsville resident.
According to police, the firework appeared to have struck the fence, breaking it into pieces that then damaged the home’s siding. Fence debris was found on the home’s back porch and scattered throughout the yard.
Police Review Camera Footage and Witness Accounts
During the investigation, police spoke with people attending a backyard gathering in the 1300 Block of Seneca Street, off Davis Avenue. Those individuals initially said they heard the explosion and saw a firework travel over their heads, possibly from the front of Seneca Street.
Other neighbors told police they had heard people at the gathering discussing fireworks shortly before the explosion.
A nearby resident subsequently provided police with two Ring camera videos. According to the police account, the footage showed someone lighting a firework near 1334 Davis Avenue, approximately 50 feet from the rear of the property where the gathering was being held. A loud explosion followed.
City Fireworks Citation Planned
Police returned to the gathering, where John Herndon, 48, acknowledged setting off the firework and said he would take responsibility for the damage, according to the report.
Herndon and the two property owners indicated they planned to resolve the damage between themselves. Police nevertheless informed Herndon that he would receive a citation under City Ordinance 119-3 for discharging fireworks within the city.