KINGSTON – A North Kitsap man was injured and taken to a local hospital when a homemade explosive device malfunctioned Wednesday afternoon, according to North Kitsap Fire & Rescue spokesperson Michele Laboda.

NKF&R crews went to the scene, a private home, before 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Firefighters arrived to find the 23-year-old suffering from injuries to his hand, upper torso and face. The man and his friends told crews that they’d built an explosive device by binding together legally obtained consumer fireworks and had lit it. When the device did not ignite as expected, the man investigated and was hurt by the delayed explosion.

He was taken by aid crews to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton.  The man’s injuries were not considered to be life-threatening, Laboda said.

The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.