4th of July Mishap in Utah Fireworks Misfire and Veer into Crowd Injuring Several Spectators

Photo : AP

During a Fourth of July celebration at a packed Utah football stadium, malfunctioning fireworks veered into the stands, injuring several spectators and sending up to six people to the hospital, according to authorities and the event organizer. The incident occurred during the opening ceremonies of the Stadium of Fire show, the main event of Provo's annual Freedom Festival held at Brigham Young University's LaVell Edwards Stadium.

As part of the festivities, fireworks were launched inside the outdoor arena while several jets flew overhead, according to the Associated Press. The show was paused for approximately 15 minutes to allow injured audience members to receive medical attention, as confirmed by Freedom Festival spokesperson Emory Cook. Cook reported that as many as six people were taken to the hospital, including one individual with serious injuries. However, information on the severity of the other injuries or the exact number of people hit by fireworks was not immediately available.

"Definitely a firework malfunctioned, but we're still trying to figure out how that happened," Cook stated. "All the fireworks were installed properly before the event, and they were inspected and approved prior to the show by authorities."

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Teresa Jack, a Provo resident who witnessed the incident from the field, described seeing a rocket fly over her head and into the stadium's east stands, where it exploded, creating a large cloud of smoke that resembled a bomb going off. People in the crowd began waving to alert officials of injuries and shouting "stop the show" at the speaker on stage, according to the Associated Press.

The event, which featured the Jonas Brothers, resumed after the Provo fire marshal approved the continuation following an inspection of the fireworks. Karen Ellingson, spokesperson for the BYU police department, confirmed this. Cook explained that the fireworks that malfunctioned inside the stadium were relatively small compared to the larger pyrotechnics used during the show's finale, which are kept outside the stadium.

The Fourth of July show was organized by Stellar Fireworks of Wichita, Kansas. Andrew Nguyen, a representative of the company, stated that the pyrotechnics that misfired were from a device called a repeater, which fires 25 shots simultaneously. "It blew apart and instead of the shots being oriented vertically, they became horizontal because the device had no structure," Nguyen explained.

Jack, who attended the festival to see the Jonas Brothers, mentioned that she and her friends almost left during the finale due to the earlier malfunction but decided to stay because the display was amazing. She expressed admiration for the drone display, which was part of the show, suggesting that it might be a safer and equally impressive alternative to traditional fireworks. "It might be time for us to reevaluate this tradition," she said.

As investigations continue into the cause of the malfunction, the incident has sparked discussions about the safety of fireworks at large public events and the potential for alternative forms of celebration.

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