Shelton — A Shelton man told investigators he was working toward becoming a licensed pyrotechnician when fireworks he bought from out of state went off and engulfed his home in flames last month, according to his arrest warrant affidavit.

Days after the initial blaze, while investigating, fire officials later determined that the Bruce Drive property was a fire and safety hazard and issued the man, Stephen Lupkas, an abatement notice. They then were granted a court order to destroy the property and conducted a controlled burn, during which fireworks could be seen going off, police wrote in Lupkas' arrest warrant.

During the burn, nearby neighbors were told to evacuate their homes or shelter in place due to safety concerns.

"The residence was ultimately burned to its entirety," the warrant states.

Shelton Fire Chief Francis Jones said he spoke with the owner of the residence who was extremely apologetic about the entire situation, and neighbors expressed sentiments of wanting to show the family support.

Lupkas, 54, turned himself in to police Monday and was charged with reckless endangerment and illegal possession of fireworks, both misdemeanors. He was released on a promise to appear in court and is scheduled to be arraigned at state Superior Court in Derby July 30, judicial records indicate.

The fire occurred on June 22. At around 6:40 p.m., dispatchers received multiple calls reporting a structure fire and fireworks exploding inside the home, according to Lupkas' arrest warrant affidavit.

At the scene, officers saw the home was fully engulfed in flames and firefighters saw heavy fire coming from the garage, the warrant states.

Police learned that a woman, her 19-year-old son and their dog were home when the fire started. They all got out safely and went across the street to wait for the fire department, according to the warrant. When Lupkas learned of the blaze, he drove home.

While firefighters were trying to suppress the blaze, fireworks were still actively going off in the house, particularly in the garage and the lower living area of the home, police said in the warrant. Firefighters had to remove the garage doors while battling the blaze.

The fire displaced the family of three and their dog, city officials said.

Due to the fireworks, the Connecticut State Police Fire Explosives Unit and Bomb Squad were called to the scene. Police obtained signed consent from Lupkas to enter the property and investigate the cause and origin of the fire. The Shelton fire marshal went into the home and, shortly after, deemed the house too unsafe to complete the investigation at that time, according got the warrant.

When state police searched a storage shed near the back of the property, they found two storage bins containing various fireworks. Police also saw fireworks among the burned debris in the garage, the warrant states.

Police spoke to Lupkas and told him that the investigation would likely lead to criminal charges for the illegal fireworks in his home. He still agreed to speak to officers, police wrote in the warrant.

In his statement to police, Lupkas said he was working toward becoming a licensed pyrotechnician and, in order to do so, he needed to work with other licensed pyrotechnicians on 10 shows before he could be considered for a license of his own, according to the warrant. He told police he had so far completed eight of the 10 shows.

Lupkas told police he was working on creating a unique firework show of his own in which fireworks exploded to music beats. He said he needed to shoot a video of his design and, a few months prior, went to Ohio to buy a large amount of fireworks. He transported the fireworks to his house in his trailer, according to the warrant. The trailer was parked in the driveway and empty at the time of the interview, it said.

Lupkas told investigators he knew he wasn't allowed to store the fireworks in his house, but when he checked some storage locations in Pennsylvania he couldn't find any vacancies, the warrant states.

Lupkas said all the fireworks were stored in the lower level of the house, primarily in his garage and a nearby room. He did not know what set off the fireworks, but believed it was from lightning striking too close to the house during a storm that night, according to the warrant.

Police searched inside the home two days later to investigate and found "an excessive storage" of unlicensed consumer fireworks. Police said the fireworks were wired together to control panels, making the immediate area unsafe to perform further inspection or removal.

The Shelton fire marshal also determined that the property was a fire and safety hazard, and officials issued Lupkas an abatement notice, the warrant states.

On June 27, Shelton police and fire officials were granted a court order and destroyed the property, according to the warrant.