(KTLA) — California officials lit a controlled burn at the site of a home explosion in Pacoima, and wild video captured by KTLA shows the moment flames hit more explosives and sent a massive fireball into the night sky.
The original explosion in the 13500 block of Remington Street occurred around 9 a.m. Thursday and left a 24-year-old man in critical condition. Assistant Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Guy Tomlinson told KTLA 5’s Carlos Herrera on Saturday morning that the man remains in critical condition with burns to 50% of his body.
According to the LAFD, the explosion was likely caused by the manufacturing of fireworks by the 24-year-old man. He is expected to face numerous charges if he recovers.
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Firefighters are seen at a home that exploded in Pacoima on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (KTLA) -
Firefighters are seen at a home that exploded in Pacoima on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (KTLA) -
Firefighters are seen at a home that exploded in Pacoima on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (KTLA) -
Emergency crews respond to a collapsed home following an explosion in Pacoima on March 20, 2025. (KTLA) -
Ring video captures the moment a fireworks explosion leveled part of a Pacoima home on March 20, 2025. (Elena Huerta)
A total of 63 homes are under mandatory evacuation orders, and while a timeline for returning remains unclear, Tomlinson said that some residents refused to leave, and others simply weren’t home. The residence where the explosion occurred was partially destroyed but no other structures were damaged.
Sky5 footage taken late Friday showed flames from the controlled burn igniting explosives that didn’t detonate in the original explosion, sending a massive fireball into the air and lighting off fireworks.
The controlled burn continued as planned Saturday morning, Assistant Chief Tomlinson added, and precautionary measures, including covering nearby homes in fire-resistant gel and plastic and constructing sand berms to prevent water runoff.
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Sky5 footage taken late Friday showed flames from the controlled burn igniting explosives that didn’t detonate in the original explosion, sending a massive fireball into the air and lighting off fireworks. -
Sky5 footage taken late Friday showed flames from the controlled burn igniting explosives that didn’t detonate in the original explosion, sending a massive fireball into the air and lighting off fireworks. -
Sky5 footage taken late Friday showed flames from the controlled burn igniting explosives that didn’t detonate in the original explosion, sending a massive fireball into the air and lighting off fireworks. -
Sky5 footage taken late Friday showed flames from the controlled burn igniting explosives that didn’t detonate in the original explosion, sending a massive fireball into the air and lighting off fireworks. -
Sky5 footage taken late Friday showed flames from the controlled burn igniting explosives that didn’t detonate in the original explosion, sending a massive fireball into the air and lighting off fireworks. -
Sky5 footage taken late Friday showed flames from the controlled burn igniting explosives that didn’t detonate in the original explosion, sending a massive fireball into the air and lighting off fireworks.
“To initiate the controlled burn, we used diesel fuel and mixed it in with hay,” Tomlinson said. “As that slowly burned through the house – and as you guys saw dramatically on your videos last night – it did hit the explosives that we were concerned with.”
“The controlled burn’s purpose was to control those hazards and mitigate additional hazards that may be there,” he elaborated.
In a bit of good news, neighbors affected by the fire could return on Saturday.
“We’re trying to get the neighborhood back to normal…eventually we will be shrinking the footprint even more so that more homes can be repopulated [and] we are actually looking at that being today,” Tomlinson told KTLA.
The controlled burn is set to last until Saturday afternoon.