Updated: Jul 03, 2015 11:22 PM EST
PIKEVILLE, TN (WRCB) -
Fire officials in Pikeville say fireworks may have started a house fire Thursday night.
"It was multiple fireworks. It sounded like they were going off all at one time," said Kyle Purdy, who lives down the road from the Kelly Lane home that burned to the ground.
Purdy said it sounded like a large fireworks show just before the fire broke out.
"We heard a bunch of fireworks and noises. All of the sudden, the sound just quieted down. When we looked out, we saw a little bit of smoke, and next thing we knew there was the fire crew," Purdy explained.
As smoke and small flames were still rising from the debris on Friday morning, nearby boxes of burned fireworks were visible on the property, too.
Kenneth Perry lives there with his wife. He said they were at home in their living room when the flames erupted.
"Whoom!" shouted Perry, describing the noise of the explosion. "It lit up all of the sudden."
The couple has lived at the home for six years. The home belonged to Perry's mother before she died last month, he said. It's now a total loss.
Perry admits he was shooting off fireworks earlier that day, but thinks someone else is to blame.
"It was something they threw in the garage that set it off. They threw a fire bomb in there, I think," Perry said. "I had shot some fireworks off earlier in the afternoon, but had been an hour and a half since anything had been shot."
Pikeville's Fire Chief Paul Swafford said there are no signs of foul play. The preliminary investigation points to an accidental fire that started in the basement.
Perry said he had an insurance policy on the home. The Red Cross will be helping them out for the next few days. The fire is still under investigation.
Source:http://www.wrcbtv.com