06:13 PM CST on Monday, January 2, 2006

By Dan Lauck / 11 News

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A homeowner was injured Sunday during a fireworks incident.

AP

According to the Harris County Fire Marshal’s office, Roy Rolan was lighting an aerial firework when the incident happened

The device was made up of 156 individually loaded launchers linked to one fuse. When the fuse only lit a portion of the fireworks, the man tried to relight the second half.

One mortar detonated and hit him in the face, cutting him above his left eye and burning his face.

The Rolan house was quiet most of the day Monday. It is nothing like last night when Ray Roland lit the fireworks to celebrate the New Year.

"He went out and bought a large box of fireworks and in that large box, when he lit, only half of them were able to go off," said Carl Pflughaupt, Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department.

The accident occurred in the 14700 W. Single Rose Court in northwest Harris County.

Rolan was wearing eye protection, which possibly prevented further injury, officials said.

"One of the actual, um, bombshells, I guess, from the artillery cannon came up and hit him. It was very lucky that he was wearing goggles or else he probably would have burned his eyes or had an eye put out" Pflughaupt said.

The volunteer fireman said they have fireworks accidents every year, but he didn't recall problems with the multi-shot boxes.

Rolan was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital by Life Flight.

He returned from the hospital at about 4 Monday afternoon.

His wife, René said doctors initially told her they expected her husband to lose an eye but because of the safety glasses he wears religiously, he did not lose an eye.

He wears them so conscientiously because a friend lost an eye an a fireworks accident three years ago.

Harris County Fire Marshall Mike Montgomery said he was looking into the box of fireworks to see if there was a malfunction.

Authorities said the fireworks at the scene did not appear to be altered in any way.