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Investigators blame fireworks for July 5 house fire in Shawnee

Investigators blame fireworks for July 5 house fire in Shawnee
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fire investigators now believe a house fire on July 5th in Shawnee was caused by fireworks.

Around 3 a.m. on July 5, fire crews were called to a home in the 4700 block of Stearns Lane on a reported fire.

Body camera footage from one of the responding firefighters captured the scene:

Investigators blame fireworks for July 5 house fire in Shawnee

No injuries were reported in the fire.

In the following days, investigators have determined that fireworks shot off the previous night were improperly disposed of and smoldered for hours before flames became visible.

The department reminds residents to soak fireworks debris in water and allow it to cool off before placing it in the trash.

Fireworks were also noted for two fires on July 4th in eastern Jackson County, Missouri. Two people died and a third person was injured in a fire near Buckner. Three people were injured the same morning in a fire near Sibley, Missouri.

If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.