Officials working to determine what caused fire at Sussex home

SUSSEX (WITI) -- Investigators continue to work to determine what sparked a massive fire that destroyed two cars, a garage, and left a house in ruins Saturday night, May 18th.

Neighbors told FOX6 News they heard what sounded like fireworks, followed by what sounded like an explosion. This, as a house on Sunset Drive was engulfed in flames.

"I heard a loud 'bang.' Real, super loud. I came running outside to see what it was, and as soon as I came out of my house, I saw the garage was in flames," Wayne Weinfurter said.

Weinfurter lives across the street. He and other neighbors say they heard fireworks before the 'bangs.'

"About a quarter to 9, ten to 9, we'd hear little fireworks going off like little bottle rocket types and didn't think anything of it. We heard these fireworks going off, and all of a sudden, it was a whole bunch of explosions, so we went back to my house and we saw smoke," Damon Bakouras said.

Sussex Fire officials say the first call for the fire came at 9:25 p.m.

Officials say they are still investigating what may have sparked this fire. Whether fireworks were at the root of the fire, there is no disputing that once the fire got going, the fireworks presented another set of threats.

As they got them out of there, I'd have to say five minutes after they got them out of there, fireworks started shooting across the street," Bakouras said.

"One of them actually ricocheted off my neighbor's house over here and there was a police officer that came down the street and was telling everyone to get back because the fireworks were just shooting out the front of the garage," Weinfurter said.

Neighbors say a couple and two kids lived in the house -- but everyone was able to get out safely.

"I mean, to lose everything like that -- both vehicles, everything inside the house is probably smoke damaged. Yes, it's absolutely terrible," Weinfurter said.

Fire officials estimate the house and garage sustained $50,000 worth of damage. They say the loss of property inside adds up to $80,000.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.