In the blink of an eye, a sudden explosion turned a quiet Plum Canyon night into chaos and it happened just steps away from Lilly Chiang’s backyard.
“I was actually sitting here watching TV and all of a sudden, I just heard this really, really loud explosion,” says Chiang. “It was so loud I actually felt the window vibrate. So I immediately went outside and I saw the fire.”
For residents like Lilly, the danger is no longer just about noise, it’s about safety. Years of fireworks in the area feet away from her backyard, have sparked brush fires, shaken homes, and pushed families to their limit.
“I’m not talking about smoke bombs and Piccolo Petes, I’m talking about mortars that are launched off at 1 A.M.,” says James Kilton, Plum Canyon resident. “The explosions are loud enough to wake every household in the community.”
What began as a firework stunt has now exploded into felony charges. One teen is out with a citation, another is still behind bars here at the SCV Sheriff’s Station, held on $75,000 bail.
Detectives were led straight to Valencia High, where deputies arrested a 17-year-old. Not long after, 18-year-old Cameron Tucker was in cuffs. Tucker did say sorry, but for Chiang, the damage was already done.
“Those kids, what they’re doing can basically burn down the entire Santa Clarita. Look at the Palisades fire,” says Chiang.
“They’re illegal for a reason. You cannot only hurt yourself, but you can hurt someone else,” says Captain David Haws at Fire Station 149. “You can also start a fire that could potentially endanger people’s lives and homes. So there’s a reason you should follow the laws and procedures.”
Binoculars in hand, Lilly scans the hills from her balcony, doing her best to protect her community so disaster doesn’t strike again.
Chiang and Kilton expressed their deep gratitude to Captain Barclay, Detective Villamil, City Official Masis Hagobian, the Arson and Explosives teams, and the SCV Sheriff’s Department for their swift response and dedication, which ultimately led to the arrest of the two teens. They say the support they received made all the difference, and they’re incredibly thankful.
