Car destroyed after mortar firework ignites unused fireworks

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Riley Peterson and his brother Sam White were blasting fireworks into the air outside their rural York County home off Bonner Horton Road.

It was after midnight, and they'd been dodging rain showers all evening.

"It started raining so we grabbed all our tubes and fireworks and put 'em back in the car," Peterson said.

They were shooting mortar shell fireworks from a dock at a pond behind the house. It was a good distance away from everything, except White's blue 2001 Volvo sedan.

Peterson said when one mortar fuse was lit, it was accidentally knocked over. The shell blasted straight at White's car, where the other unused fireworks were.

"The window was kind of down, and the door was open. It just kind of went through it," Peterson said. "I heard my brother start saying, 'Run! The car's on fire!'"

Family members tried to toss a bucket of water on the car, but they had to call 911.

When Bullock Creek firefighters arrived, the car was covered by flames. Brooke George, who also saw it happen, described it like this: "You know when something's cooking on a stove, and it catches fire underneath it, and there's flames all around it? That's kind of what it was like," she said.

There's nothing left of the car. The paint is gone. The trunk melted, and inside, it's a charred pile of ashes. There's no sign of a steering wheel, and the seats are blackened metal springs.

Peterson said once the fireworks ignited, it looked like a fireworks show in the back of his brother's car.

It was also a difficult night for responding firefighters. Because of all the rainfall, a fire truck became stuck, and had to be towed from the yard.

Peterson said they thought they were being safe, lighting everything off away from the house.

"I hate it for his car. I know I'd be mad if it was my car," he said.

The York County fire marshal's office was called to investigate. An investigator told Channel 9 that White was issued a ticket for improper use of fireworks.

He lives in Gaffney, and was not available for comment on Friday.

WSOC