Employees of the fireworks company behind the July 4th celebration received minor injuries on Sunday after the fireworks accidentally exploded on a US beach.
First responders initially thought a car was on fire, but when they arrived at the scene in Ocean City, Maryland. They discovered there was "an unintentional discharge of fireworks" being set up for the show, the Ocean City Fire Department said in a Facebook post Sunday morning.
The employees declined transport to a local hospital, and no other beach or boardwalk visitors were injured as a result of the explosion, the fire department said.
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"Prior to the fireworks being off-loaded from the vehicle, Fire Marshals secure a safe zone around the fireworks and put other safety protocols in place," Ocean City Fire Chief Richie Bowers said in the statement.
"It is this very zone and safety protocols that kept anyone else from being injured."
Fire marshals are on scene and continue their investigation into the fireworks discharge.
All fireworks celebrations in Ocean City have been cancelled out of "an abundance of caution," the Ocean City Fire Department confirmed on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/OCMDFD/posts/10159248525674509"At this time, the cause of the fireworks discharge is unknown," the fire department said. "A perimeter around the fireworks site has been established and will remain in place until the safety inspections are complete, which could take several days."
Areas of the boardwalk will also remain closed to pedestrians until safety inspections have been completed.
