A young dad in Raeford is picking up the pieces after illegal fireworks set his cars and his home on fire during New Year’s celebrations. Kevan White said he’s grateful, and his daughter survived, but officials say his story represents a wider problem.
“This is all that’s left of my license plate,” White said as he bent down to pick up the charred, twisted tag that used to be on the back of his pickup.
White’s beloved Tacoma pickup and his Mini Coupe were obliterated after getting torched by fireworks set off nearby. White said his family is trying to laugh to keep from crying.
I was just never going to get rid of the truck because every time I was riding it, I was riding with my dad.
“My daughter made a joke about this looking like a burnt marshmallow,” he said.
White, a veteran, said it happened minutes after midnight on New Year’s Day. He and his daughter had just watched the ball drop at home when he got an alert that fireworks were going off in his neighborhood. White and his daughter escaped the fire and his home only sustained minor damage.