The Lopez family said fire crews arrived just in time.
"I'm shook up," Mike Lopez said. "I'm fortunate."
Mike is referring to his family making it out safe after a part of their home recently caught fire. The family believes the blaze was sparked by illegal fireworks.
The San Jose resident said his neighborhood has been hammered for days by illegal fireworks.
Everyone in the house was asleep when a shed caught fire early morning. The blaze then spread to the entryway to the basement.
An alert neighbor smelled the smoke and called 911.
Firefighters, who are already on heightened fireworks alert, rescued Mike's elderly father, who is in a wheelchair. They then rushed to get Mike, who was still asleep.
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"They went into the back, into my room and four firefighters just said the basement is on fire, please evacuate the building," Mike said.
Fire departments across the Bay Area have been pleading with people to stop the nightly illegal fireworks displays. Firefighters will be extra vigilant over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Meanwhile, the San Jose Fire Department said its arson unit is investigating the fire at the Lopez house to officially determine the cause.
Inspectors said there were reports of fireworks in the area. If someone is found responsible, they could face criminal charges for an act that could have taken lives.
"I just hope people are safe this weekend and that this doesn't happen to anybody else," Mike said. "Because this was definitely pretty frightening for me and my dad."
