4th of July: Maryland Truck Full of Fireworks Explodes on Beach

A fireworks accident has caused the Ocean City, Maryland Fourth of July celebration to be [...]

By Michael Hein

A fireworks accident has caused the Ocean City, Maryland Fourth of July celebration to be canceled, but witnesses are just glad that everyone was alright. A viral video shows a truckload of fireworks going off all at once on a Maryland beach on Sunday morning. According to a report by ABC News, only one fireworks employee received minor injuries, and no one needed treatment.

The video in question shows beachgoers staring in awe or fleeing in panic as an entire night's worth of fireworks went off all at once on the beach in Ocean City. Firefighters responded to the scene in the morning and found that the stash of pyrotechnics had been set off by accident somehow. All fireworks displays in the city were canceled out of an abundance of caution, city leaders announced a few hours later. No bystanders were hurt, and the one employee who received "minor injuries" reportedly refused transport to a hospital for further examination.

So far, the cause for the premature explosion is not clear, but city officials say there will be a full investigation. Ideally, fireworks are stored in such a way that an accidental ignition of one item should not lead to a chain reaction like this one, though that can be logistically difficult.

Police closed off parts of the beach and the boardwalk following the accident, but it wasn't long before everyone was making light of the situation. On social media, commenters poked fun at Ocean City in general, implying that this was typical of the town in some way.

"Ocean City, MD and Florida have the same energy," one Twitter user weighed in. Another added: "Ocean City has been in national news way too often this summer," while a third wrote: "My dumb ass thought ocean city was a grand theft auto location, but i may be on to something after all."

Fireworks become an issue just about every summer in the U.S., whether it's because of accidents, noise complaints or concern for those with post-traumatic stress disorder. This year, the explosive tradition was further complicated by a severe shortage in retail stores around the country. This is apparently due to an over-indulgence last summer during the pandemic and a slowed global supply chain.

Laws and regulations for fireworks vary greatly from state to state and even town to town. For an index of fireworks laws across the country, visit the Phantom Fireworks website here.

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