WHITLEY COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — The sound of explosions woke Kimberly Wagers in the middle of the night.
"I started panicking, I started shaking, and I couldn't quit shaking," Wagers said.
When Wagers made it outside, she found her next-door neighbor's home on fire.
"I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I can't explain it," she said.
According to the Corbin Fire Department, Wagers heard sounds from homemade fireworks.
"It was crazy. I mean, it was sound like popcorn or something. I mean, just pop, pop, pop, all over the place," said Chief Barry McDonald.
Chief McDonald said the blasts could be heard from miles away.
The already dangerous scene grew worse when the homeowner's gun collection caught fire.
"Shell casings, you know, coming out into the road and hitting our trucks and stuff. I mean, it was wild. I mean, I've never seen anything like it," the Chief said.
Over 30 firefighters were on the scene, doing their job despite the circumstances.
"It's very dangerous, I was concerned for the man because, you know, I sure didn't want them get hit by stray bullets and stuff. We got some dedicated men. They went right in," the Chief said.
Wagers is grateful for the firefighters' swift action and that more lives were not lost.
"I keep thinking, what if that didn't go off, because it was horrible. I may have never heard the fire," she said.
