A man in Sumner, Washington, is being credited with saving two homes after tackling a fire sparked by leftover Fourth of July fireworks. Woken in the early hours of 5 July by his neighbour, Wesley Howard spotted flames between the two properties and — rather than pausing to dress — ran outside naked, grabbed his garden hose and began fighting the blaze as it spread through his fence towards his house. His swift response reportedly stopped the fire from destroying either home.

According to local outlet KIRO, a smouldering firework had ignited inside a neighbour's rubbish bin before the flames began to spread. Howard, who credited his Navy training for his quick reaction, burned his toes on hot embers while dousing the fire and had managed to pull on a pair of shorts by the time police and firefighters arrived. He used the moment to urge others to thoroughly extinguish their fireworks to avoid similar incidents.