Bettiah: A 45-year-old man was burned alive and five thatched houses were reduced to ashes after a massive fire, triggered by wedding fireworks, broke out at Chamua village in Narkatiaganj block of West Champaran district on Wednesday night. The deceased, Dhoorendra Yadav of Saidpur Chamua, sustained severe burn injuries and later succumbed to them.According to villagers, a wedding ceremony was underway when fireworks were set off. Sparks are suspected to have fallen on nearby thatched houses, igniting the blaze. The fire spread rapidly, engulfing five houses within minutes. Locals tried to douse the flames using buckets and hand pumps, but the intensity of the fire made their efforts futile.Bettiah fire officer Khushboo Kumari said that a fire brigade team rushed to the spot soon after receiving information. “It took nearly three hours to bring the fire under control. By then, five houses had been completely gutted and one life lost. Preliminary findings suggest that wedding fireworks may have caused the fire. A detailed investigation is underway,” she said.All belongings of the affected families were destroyed. The district administration has begun assessing the losses and assured appropriate assistance to the victims.