A homeowner born on the fourth of July celebrated his birthday in his backyard with an assortment of fireworks and skyrockets, despite a severe drought and watering ban that left the grass extremely dry. One of the fireworks landed in a pile of dry grass clippings behind his garage, but the homeowner neglected to check whether it was extinguished. The grass clippings ignited, and the fire eventually spread to the rear wall of the garage. By the time the homeowner discovered the fire and called the fire department, the flames were reaching as high as the vacant apartment on the second floor of the garage. The first firefighter to arrive rushed with a hose to the back of the garage. As he went up the outside stairs leading to the back door of the apartment, one of the steps broke, causing him to fall to the ground and break his leg. Unbeknownst to the homeowner, the wood on the underside of the step had rotted away.
In a suit by the firefighter against the homeowner, will the firefighter likely prevail?
A. Yes, because the homeowner was negligent in allowing the fire to start.
B. Yes, because it was foreseeable that the homeowner's shooting off the fireworks would necessitate the assistance of the fire department.
C. No, unless the jury determines that the homeowner could have discovered the condition of the step with a reasonable inspection.
D. No, because a firefighter cannot recover for negligent conduct of another that causes him to be injured from risks that are inherent to his duties.