VIDEO/PHOTOS: A fireball explosion at a home in Martinez was captured in multiple videos Wednesday afternoon, destroying the residence and sending up thick, black smoke hundreds of feet into the air. Investigators say three minors playing with fire were the cause.
Contra Costa County Fire Protection District said Wednesday evening that the fire started in a backyard on Arthur Road. The current conditions led to the fire the youths were playing with to get out of hand. The juveniles were released to their parents.
Several videos of the explosion show flashes of electrical wires arching inside the rising ball of fire and smoke.
Crews responded to the large fire, which was burning on the 4000 block of Arthur Road. When they arrived, they found one home fully engulfed. Officials said that fast work spared other homes from destruction. However, vehicles and other equipment were destroyed.