A woman blew off several fingers when she accidentally lit a quarter stick of dynamite in her home Thursday night, officials said.Assistant Fire Chief Michael Caldaroni, who was the battalion chief at the scene, said the woman lit what she thought was a candle during the power outage caused by the severe storm that hit the city Thursday night. Instead, police spokesman Av Harris said, she lit a quarter stick of dynamite.The dynamite stick went off in the woman’s hand while she stood in her home on Lindley Street in Bridgeport.One of her children called 911. The woman suffered serious injuries and was taken to Bridgeport Hospital, Caldaroni said. It was unclear how many fingers she lost.There wasn’t severe damage to the inside of the home, Caldaroni said, but a window was blown out. The children, who are staying with family while their mother is in the hospital, were not injured.Fire and police units found what Caldaroni described as a “makeshift firework” in the home while investigating. As a precaution, they evacuated the residents in the two homes on either side of the woman’s residence and called in the state police bomb squad to remove the explosive.Harris said the bomb squad may detonate the second explosive at Seaside Park or West Beach.The fire marshal and Bridgeport police are actively investigating the incident.

A woman blew off several fingers when she accidentally lit a quarter stick of dynamite in her home Thursday night, officials said.

Assistant Fire Chief Michael Caldaroni, who was the battalion chief at the scene, said the woman lit what she thought was a candle during the power outage caused by the severe storm that hit the city Thursday night. Instead, police spokesman Av Harris said, she lit a quarter stick of dynamite.


The dynamite stick went off in the woman’s hand while she stood in her home on Lindley Street in Bridgeport.

One of her children called 911. The woman suffered serious injuries and was taken to Bridgeport Hospital, Caldaroni said. It was unclear how many fingers she lost.

There wasn’t severe damage to the inside of the home, Caldaroni said, but a window was blown out. The children, who are staying with family while their mother is in the hospital, were not injured.

Fire and police units found what Caldaroni described as a “makeshift firework” in the home while investigating. As a precaution, they evacuated the residents in the two homes on either side of the woman’s residence and called in the state police bomb squad to remove the explosive.

Harris said the bomb squad may detonate the second explosive at Seaside Park or West Beach.

The fire marshal and Bridgeport police are actively investigating the incident.