Big Bay Boom" Fizzle: San Diego Fireworks Fail 2012

[esavvymom]

San Diego Bay Fireworks Display A Bust! Crowds React To Fireworks Fail 2012 - YouTube

SAN DIEGO — After a malfunction that authorities are calling a "premature ignition," the fireworks show above San Diego Bay was over before it was supposed to start.

The Coast Guard says the mishap occurred minutes before the scheduled opening of the Big Bay Boom show, causing a display that was planned to last nearly 20 minutes to burn up all at once.

Guard spokesman Rich Dann tells U-T San Diego (San Diego fireworks suffer 'premature ignition' | UTSanDiego.com) he's never seen so many fireworks go off at one time.

Show producer Garden State Fireworks has apologized, saying they were working to determine what "caused the entire show to be launched in about 15 seconds."

Video of the big, bright fizzle is glowing strong on YouTube.

About 50,000 people were estimated to have been in attendance.

 

[NooraK]

Our local fireworks show was cut short due to an accident. The show started, then stopped after about a dozen rockets. Then we heard sirens. Then I saw a faint glow behind the building where the rockets were being shot. Then I saw the fire truck drive over. Apparently one of the rockets exploded near the ground, injuring two workers.

 

[Sheila]

Awe, both incidents are sad! The people doing these are supposed to be "experts" in insuring that it's done safely. I hope no one was injured in SD & hope that the ones injured in GA were not seriously injured.The whole point of the local governments doing demos is to encourage the morons to attend an organized event vs. doing stupid stunts themselves that injure people and/or start grass/structure fires. We had bottle rockets going off 2 doors down last night. I'm sooooo glad that I had the foresight to water my grass really well for 3 days before ... any embers that might have fallen in my yard fell on wet ground, not dry grass! LOLI'm having a tough time explaining to my 3 year old son why we can't go watch fireworks again tonight. I can't imagine having to tell them AT the event that it's been canceled. I bet there were a lot of unhappy munchkins last night in SD & Georgia!

 

[esavvymom]

I'm glad I am not the only one who gets nervous around the 4th! Our neighbors across the street (who are just house-sitting and are transplants from CA I guess...which means they don't have homeowners insurance yet)...they own 3 of those Fireworks tents to sell the stuff. I was so nervous they'd be shooting them in the empty lot next to my home. Our landlord from years back told us they had TWO houses burn down in separate instances because of fireworks a few houses over landing on their roof. My In-laws had fireworks land on their roof from a street over..thankfully in January, so was very cold. We had a rocket fly through the woods between our former house and the clubhouse where someone was shooting them off - heading straight for my house. Thankfully, enough woods in between to have stopped them. So I get very nervous around the 4th. We try not to even leave our house to see fireworks if we have neighbors that shoot them. Thankfully, in our current neighborhood, no one has yet. And our town's fireworks can be seen from our neighborhood, so we all just go out into the yards or line the street where it's easiest to see them! Can't beat it! and it's a really good show for such a small town!!People don't THINK! In our state, anything that leaves the ground is illegal, but that doesn't stop them! My kids were waiting for our town's display, and the church behind our house had their own little show....lots of aerial rockets. My boys were "Those are Illegal!!" We had to shoosh them...hhaha. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt or something destroyed.I think the San Diego mess was contained to the barges in the water. So I don't think anyone was actually near them thankfully.

 

[scottcooks]

We enjoyed watching two regional fireworks display from a high point near our home. As we were walking back, some teens shot off ?roman candles? in the parking lot. One of the fireworks fell over and shot towards our car... and they sat laughing (presumably at their own faulty setup?) from the top of the hill. Maybe next year we will join the throng of thousands at a city display. Within 5 minutes of getting home, someone set off an M-80 in the street. It sure is hard to teach young children to abide by the law when so many people do not.

 

[esavvymom]

Agreed Scott. They follow what you model!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Compost occurs.Most of the fireworks around here were cancelled because of the extreme drought conditions.We had one moron decide that he wanted to "…smoke out a squirrel." Five fire departments and several acres later, the squirrel was fine. The moron is facing several citations

 

[Oracle]

In 1982 I lost a good friend and for all intents and purposes his twin brother (who lived despite his burns) when their family's fireworks factory blew up in Seabrook, NH.

This was a professional factory that had been (and still is) in business for years. A freak spark set the place off. We felt the explosion 5 miles away and we were all sure that the nuclear power plant had blown up.

It was, without a doubt, one of the scariest (and grimmest) days of my life. In those days I had current EMT certification and was one of the first responders. Four young men died that day and others, like my friend Keith, will never be the same.

People have no idea how powerful and dangerous fireworks can be. Public displays are fun but the reality is, imho, they are more of an encouragment than deterent to the idiots out there. And don't get me started on the idiots who think it's fun to fire off a few rounds into the air to add to the fun.

We enjoyed our local fireworks last night. They are held less than half a mile from our home so we watch them from our backyard. Afterwards, as we have for years, we patroled our entire block for "hot" ash. It's dangerously dry here and the last thing we need is a fire.

We get chunks of ash, bits of wrapper, and other fall out all over the yard.

As much as I enjoy them I would rather our town eliminate them both for the expense and hazard they pose.

Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

On a brighter note our 7 month old puppy was totally unphased and sat there in a lawn chair watching them along with the rest of us.

 

[heather223]

As much as I enjoy them I would rather our town eliminate them both for the expense and hazard they pose.

I agree with you. I enjoy watching them and we went to our city's show last night. As I sat there cuddling my toddler I could only think that our city could spend that money on something else, Like a really nice community center!

 

[esavvymom]

Our town pays for them with fundraiser events and not town money.

I wish it could be as simple though as just ban all of them. But you and I know that then you end up with more "wanna bes" setting off their fireworks all over since there are no professional shows. i think that would greatly increase the danger to all around them. The local shows could use more forethought though as to WHERE they do them. Like I would NOT be happy if they were that close to my house. Shoot them over water or in fields that have been watered down or something, but not close to residential.

There is no easy answer.