Maryland's July 4th Fireworks Accidentally Explode, Employees Suffer Minor Injuries

Several people suffered minor injuries Sunday after fireworks meant to be used for the Fourth of July celebration in Maryland accidentally exploded.

Officials for the Ocean City Fire Department in Maryland were initially called in to respond to a vehicle fire at 10:30 a.m. Arriving at the scene, they discovered that it was an accidental fireworks discharge.

Employees for Starfire Corporation said they were setting up on the beach for the July 4th holiday fireworks display when the pyrotechnics set off. The workers had suffered minor injuries but refused to be transported to the hospital. No bystanders were injured from the incident, the fire department said in an official Facebook post.

"Our Fire Marshals are on the scene and will investigate the cause of the unintentional discharge," Ocean City Fire Chief Richie Bowers said, according to the post.

"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. It is this very zone and safety protocols that kept anyone else from being injured.”

A video of the incident posted on social media showed a massive plume of smoke rising from the beach and accompanied by popping sounds.

A spokesperson for Starfire Corporation said the fireworks were shipped from overseas locations. The spokesperson also noted that its employees were trained and licensed. The company is now looking into the shipment origins and possible causes for the explosion.

"Starfire Corporation feels terrible about what happened, and we are grateful to the Ocean City Fire Department and all the other agencies that helped today," the spokesperson told CNN.

The incident has prompted fire marshalls to cancel all fireworks celebrations in Ocean City out of “an abundance of caution.” They also noted that the perimeter around the fireworks site will remain in place until officials for the fire department complete safety inspections.

The fireworks show at the beach was set to begin at 8 p.m. EST, with musical guests and pyrotechnics “filling in the sky” by 9:30 p.m. A second fireworks display in Northside Park scheduled to take place at 8 p.m. was also canceled.