Police identify 48-year-old man killed in Wichita house explosion; 4 dogs also died
Authorities say the man who died in a southwest Wichita home explosion on Easter Sunday may have been manufacturing his own fireworks.
Wichita police identified the man who died in the fire and explosion as 48-year-old Kendal James of Wichita, police spokesperson Trevor Macy said.
City officials told The Eagle that four dogs were killed in the fire and one was saved by rescue crews. A woman who lived there was not in the home when the fire and explosions happened.
The Wichita Police Department’s bomb squad took a large quantity of additional explosives from the house to the bomb range for disposal, city officials said. The exact amount and chemical composition of the explosives had not been determined as of Monday morning.
“From all the interviews from homeowners and neighbors right now from the explosions, there have been some reports initially of fireworks being manufactured,” Wichita Fire Department battalion chief Jose Ocadiz said during a news conference on Monday.
Residents reported a house fire with explosions at a home near west Blake Street and south Cardington Street around 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Ocadiz said.
Three explosions happened, and fire crews witnessed one while working to put out the heavy fire, Ocadiz said.
The incident is being investigated by the Wichita Fire Department, Wichita police, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Contributing: Chance Swaim of The Eagle
This story was originally published April 10, 2023 at 11:59 AM.
CORRECTION: An early version of this report contained an incorrect street name. It is Cardington Street.