(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times) A 13-year-old boy and his older brother were killed Tuesday evening in a suspected fireworks blast in Bell Gardens, according to authorities. Around 6 p.m., the Bell Gardens Police Department responded to a report of explosions and a structure fire in the 6500 block of Purdy Avenue, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department news release. Arson investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department found materials used to make homemade fireworks and explosives at the scene, according to the release.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded at around 9:26 p.m. to the 400 block of West 84th Street to a report of a male on fire, according to an LAPD news release. The Los Angeles Fire Department also responded to the scene and began life-saving measures to an injured 17-year-old boy, according to department spokesperson Lyndsey Lantz. The teen was hospitalized and later pronounced dead, according to the LAPD release.
Shipping and import records show that the company imported large amounts of raw chemicals known to be used to manufacture explosives, raising significant safety concerns.