LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Las Vegas man is without a place to live after fireworks caught his home on fire this week, according to NewsNation affiliate KLAS.
Nate Bridewell said he was woken up by the sound of an explosion around 4:00 a.m. Wednesday morning outside his house near Buffalo Drive and Alta Drive.
“When the explosion went off,” Bridewell said. “Boom!”
He then walked KLAS through the moment he realized the bushes in his front yard were engulfed in flames.
“I’m trying to get my keys and my phone,” Bridewell said. “I’m like trying to figure out which way to go.”
He said before he could even decide what to do, the flames had gone too far.
“I had a water hose trying to put it out,” Bridewell said. “And it caught on to the house.”
Nate said now the entire life he built has been turned to rubble.
“All my music, all my equipment, all my albums, which I love, I’m a music man,” he said. “Gone.”
He said he’s grateful he and his dog are safe, but Nate said illegal fireworks have been an issue in his west valley neighborhood for years and he has always worried something like this would happen.
Las Vegas man says fireworks burned down his home (Photo: Nate Bridewell) 
Las Vegas man says fireworks burned down his home (Photo: Nate Bridewell) 
Las Vegas man says fireworks burned down his home (Photo: Nate Bridewell) 
Las Vegas man says fireworks burned down his home (Photo: Nate Bridewell) 
Las Vegas man says fireworks burned down his home (Photo: Nate Bridewell) 
Las Vegas man says fireworks burned down his home (Photo: Nate Bridewell) 
Las Vegas man says fireworks burned down his home (Photo: Nate Bridewell) 
Las Vegas man says fireworks burned down his home (Photo: Nate Bridewell)
“My block looked like Vietnam,” Bridewell said. “It’s just like smoke everywhere, like bombs bursting in the air.”
The Clark County ISpy Fireworks website logged 22,662 illegal fireworks complaints from June 28 through July 4.
Officials told KLAS that 49 citations were issued between July 1 and July 5.
The City of Las Vegas also reported 371 fire calls over the Fourth of July holiday.
Bridewell said he hopes to see harsher punishment for those who do break these types of laws.
“It’s something you see all the time,” he said. “And you think wow, why would a person do that?”
He wants things to change so he doesn’t have to go through something like this ever again.
“It’s got to be a nightmare,” Bridewell said. “You know, I am saying wake up wake up wake up!”
Bridewell told KLAS he is staying at a hotel until he can figure out his next steps. The Red Cross of Southern Nevada helped him with clothing and other basics to get back on his feet.
He has insurance, but he said the house should take at least eight months to rebuild, so anyone who would like to help him can visit his GoFundMe here.