With the 4th of July right around the corner, many people are gearing up to celebrate. In Roswell, however, the holiday is a painful reminder of the loss of one of their own.
Last year, a huge explosion injured 12 firefighters and left one dead as they were preparing for the city’s annual fireworks display. Roswell firefighter Jeff Stroble, 46, passed away a few days after the incident.
Now, some of those who were injured are looking to hold someone responsible for that explosion.
A lawsuit filed Tuesday in Chavez County District Court alleges that the city put those firefighters in harm’s way. It also claims that the company that sold the fireworks did not do enough to warn them of potential dangers. According to the document, a dozen firefighters were moving cases of fireworks from storage to a city building June 5.
Firefighters were attaching "e-matches" to the fireworks when one ignited and exploded. The suit is representing the wife of Jeff Stroble and seven other firefighters injured that day.