PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) — Police say fireworks caused an explosion that blew out windows, ignited massive flames and killed one person in a century-old building in northeast Oregon.
Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts said Friday that Eduardo Quezada, 25, was creating flash powder to build improvised explosive devices. He says there’s no indication the fireworks were for any purpose besides entertainment.
Quezada died in Tuesday’s blast. Two people who helped remove him from the building were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation and released.
The explosion and fire destroyed much of the building owned by Quezada’s father, once Pendleton’s City Hall. More recently, it contained office space and apartments.
