West Central explosion sends man to hospital

A man handling a “mortar-style firework” in Spokane’s West Central neighborhood was critically injured Sunday night in an explosion, a news release from the Spokane Police Department said. The man is expected to survive. Spokane Fire Department crews cleared the scene around 9:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1500 block of West Gardner and the man was taken to the hospital, a news release from the fire department said. Police said the man told them the firework exploded while he was holding it in his lap. The man’s condition was not immediately available Monday. The residence was not structurally damaged, the fire department release said.