Fireworks.Photo: Getty
Fourth of July festivities in Ocean City, Maryland, were cancelled after a fireworks display exploded ahead of schedule.
Firefighters responded to reports of a vehicle fire Sunday morning, which turned out to be an “unintentional discharge” of fireworks that were intended to be part of the city’s Independence Day celebrations in the evening.
Officials closed parts of the boardwalk to pedestrians and set up a perimeter around the site of the explosion that will remain until they can complete a thorough safety inspection, “which could take several days.”
“Our fire marshals are on the scene and will investigate the cause of the unintentional discharge,” said Ocean City Fire Chief Richie Bowers in a statement. “Prior to the fireworks being offloaded from the vehicle, fire marshals secure a safe zone around the fireworks and put other safety protocols in place. It is this very zone and safety protocols that kept anyone else from being injured.”
Employees of the unnamed firework companysustained minor injuries, but they refused transport to a local hospital, according to the Ocean City Fire Department. No other people were harmed in the explosion at the beach near Dorchester Street.
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Prior to the explosion, the OCFD reminded residents that all fireworks are illegal in the town, with the exception of sparklers.
“We know you may want to bring your own fireworks to Ocean City, but we don’t want any burn injuries or our dune grass to catch fire,” theannouncementstated. “So - leave the fireworks to the professionals and enjoy our two free shows downtown and at Northside Park on Sunday, July 4th!”
source: people.com
