PHOENIX — Rob Bonner woke up with a bang Saturday morning.
Bonner had no clue where the sound had come from. It was 5:30 a.m., and there was no obvious sign something was wrong inside the house.
“It felt like an explosion,” said Bonner.
After checking to see if something was wrong with the house, Bonner planned to go back to bed. However, his 10-month-old puppy kept barking.
“The puppy was adamant, let's get up," Bonner said.
Bonner opened the door to the backyard and instantly smelled smoke.
“As I turned the corner, I see the entire trampoline engulfed in flames,” Bonner said.
The father rushed to extinguish the fire burning just feet from his North Phoenix home. After the last ember was put out, Bonner said he did not feel relief.
“I would say it was more anger, to be honest, like why would someone do this?” he said.
The trampoline was a gift for his daughter’s eighth birthday. A firecracker tossed from someone driving by on a nearby road had set it on fire.
“What they thought was a prank or funny joke is something that could leave scars,” Bonner said.
Bonner said his family is lucky the puppy got him to look outside or the fire could have spread to the house. The family hopes police will be able to find the people responsible before anyone else is targeted.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: El patio trasero una familia de Phoenix se incendió después de que arrojaran un petardo en su propiedad
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