Fort Worth family home and vehicle destroyed in garage fire sparked by fireworks

FORT WORTH, Texas - A Fort Worth family is picking up the pieces after a Friday night fire destroyed their home and vehicle—an incident they say was intentionally sparked by neighborhood fireworks.

Fort Worth house destroyed in fire

What we know:

The Fort Worth Fire Department responded to the blaze just after 9 p.m. Friday on Ellis Road, near East Loop 820. While fire officials state the official cause remains under investigation, the homeowners point to neighborhood surveillance video as definitive proof.

The video, shared by neighbors, appears to show a firework being detonated near the property, followed closely by a group of people running away from the scene.

What they're saying:

Homeowner Dwight Thomas Jr. said the realization that the fire wasn't an accident was devastating. "To see that it wasn't an electrical fire, it was some kids walking down the street throwing a firecracker in our garage," Thomas said. "My wife's car blows up and catches on fire, and it just erupts... my heart just dropped."

The family's 23-year-old son first smelled the smoke and rushed to wake up the household. Everyone managed to escape the burning structure safely, though Thomas suffered minor burns during the ordeal.

"I just thank God, I was glad we were safe," said homeowner Felicia Thomas. "With all the flames and the smoke, we could have been dead, the house could have blown up. I know we have a gas home. With all the fire that I saw, I was just like, 'oh my God, how did this happen?'"

What's next:

The family is currently relying on friends and relatives for support while they wait for insurance adjusters to assess the damage and help them begin the process of rebuilding. They are hoping those responsible will face legal consequences.

If investigators officially rule fireworks as the cause of the fire, it will mark the second time in a single week that fireworks have severely damaged a home in Fort Worth.