COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A homeowner says her entire front yard is torched after her neighbor’s New Year’s Eve celebration went terribly wrong.
Homeowner Sandie Edenfield flames said the flames were spreading so fast they were actually inching closer to her front steps.
“We come to the door and the yard was partly on fire,” Edenfield said.
As the wind picked up, flames spread fast, lighting up the entire yard after Edenfield told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell that her neighbor lit fireworks in the middle of the street.
Edenfield’s neighbor told Newell that it was an accident, but he will help repair the front yard.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Driver claimed to have a bomb in tractor-trailer, shutting down I-85 for hours
- Soldier who died in Las Vegas explosion left note saying it was to be a wakeup for country’s ills
- Bourbon Street crash: Who are the victims of the New Orleans terror attack?
He said his 18-year-old daughter set the fireworks off before he had a chance to change his clothes and return outside to his family.
“The child came running in and saying, ‘The yard is on fire.’ He grabbed his fire extinguisher and he put out one side of the fire,” Edenfield said.
The Cobb County Fire Department responded to nearly 20 firework-related incidents starting at noon on New Year’s Eve into New Year’s Day.
Their advice on enjoying fireworks is to leave it to the professionals by attending fireworks shows.
“My message is please use safety if you’re going to use fireworks. Follow the law, don’t shoot them in the street or near a neighborhood where there are trees everywhere,” Edenfield said.
The Cobb County Fire Department released this information regarding fireworks safety and what causes fireworks to spark fires.
“We follow the National Fire Protection Association recommendation that the only safe way to view fireworks is to attend a professional show. We fill Firework Safety Education requests through our Safety Village. Historically we have taught firework safety to Fourth graders during their field trips until recently when we’ve continued the NFPA messaging that fireworks should be left to the professionals. We’ve taught sparkler safety at local camps and neighborhoods throughout Cobb County – this program is also available upon request. We disseminate public safety announcements through social media, videos, and inform the public of professional fireworks shows permitted through the Fire Marshal’s Office. There are a multitude of things that can cause fireworks to start a fire to include weather, wind, misuse, and malfunction. This is the reason we continue to amplify leaving fireworks to the professionals and finding alternative methods to enjoy the holidays,” said Nicholas Danz, Public Information for the Cobb County Fire Department.
©2025 Cox Media Group
