Fireworks mishap injures several people during Stadium of Fire
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- The crowd watches as a member of Provo Fire & Rescue searches for an injured person after an errant firework exploded among attendees during Stadium of Fire held at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Several people were injured when fireworks misfired and struck members of the audience inside the football stadium, police said.
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- This photo taken Thursday, July 4, 2024, shows fireworks erupting into the air during a performance at Stadium of Fire inside Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo.
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- This photo taken Thursday, July 4, 2024, shows the moment after stray fireworks shot into a crowd at Lavell Edwards Stadium during a performance as part of Stadium of Fire in Provo.
A Provo Fourth of July tradition took a startling turn when multiple people were injured by what officials described as a “fireworks malfunction” during a Stadium of Fire performance at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Thursday.
Several people in the east section of the stadium reportedly were struck by fireworks following a line of F-22 jets that flew over the annual Fourth of July celebration.
“Last night at Stadium of Fire, as the national anthem concluded, a firework–that was planned to go off at the end of the national anthem–misfired, injuring several people,” Emory Cook, a spokesperson for America’s Freedom Festival, which organizes the annual event, said in an emailed statement sent to the Daily Herald. “The event was paused until each injured guest received treatment and the remaining fireworks were re-inspected”
“Some explosions happened behind the right side of the stage, and a lot of the rockets went in different directions,” Provo resident Teresa Jack, who witnessed the events, told the Daily Herald.
A video taken by Jack shows the moment after the flyover and the errant fireworks launching into the air and some into the crowd.
Jack said she witnessed one of the explosions land on the field where a group of performers were during the fireworks display
“Like, one basically hit a girl. I don’t think it hit her, like on her body, but it landed like at her feet and she just, like, stepped forward and then stepped right back in line” Jack said.
According to KUTV, Provo police didn’t confirm how many people had been hit by the explosives or the severity of their injuries. But Cook said unconfirmed reports indicated that six people went to the hospital. One victim may have been hit in the face, according to a report by KSL TV.
Officials with America’s Freedom Festival said the fireworks were inspected before Thursday night’s show.
“Safety is of the utmost importance to us. All pyrotechnics at Stadium of Fire are thoroughly checked before the show, and were rechecked after tonight’s incident,” a post on the festival’s official Facebook page reads. “Our thoughts are with those who were impacted, and we are following up with them to make sure they are okay.”
With explosives flying into the air and thousands of people in attendance, Jack said she and a group of friends feared for their safety.
“There was a moment of, ‘Are we OK? But what is happening? Do we need to evacuate? Did something bigger go wrong,'” she said. “It was nerve wracking because I felt like not everyone really understood what had happened in that moment.”
Those tensions were eased as she witnessed first responders begin to emerge into the crowd and provide medical attention to those who needed it.
The event was paused for a time while crews assessed the injuries from the incident, but the show resumed just before 9 p.m., ABC4 reported.
Headlining act the Jonas Brothers eventually took the stage and the night ended with another fireworks show, which left Jack and others in the crowd on edge in the wake of the earlier malfunction.
“It was so good, but I was still a little apprehensive at how close these huge fireworks were after I had seen someone get directly hit by one,” she told the Daily Herald.
While it was certainly a night to remember, another concern Jack had arose from problems she had getting reliable internet service inside the stadium. She said it was difficult not being able to search the web on her phone to see if any information had been posted about what was going on.
“One of the scariest things was I couldn’t find out if we were OK. I’d like to see some better cell coverage inside the stadium during an emergency situation, at least for the sake of letting friends and family know we’re OK,” she said.
Provo Fire & Rescue released a statement Friday afternoon detailing the mishap and touting the quick response from various agencies to assist those in need.
“Our emergency operations center is state-of-the-art allowing us to practice and train in scenarios like this,” Provo City Fire Marshal Lynn Schofield said in the release. We never want an incident such as this to happen, but we prepare by planning and coordinating with Brigham Young University so that if it does, we ensure a timely, effective response.”
According to the agency, an investigation is underway to see whether the malfunction was caused due to a manufacturer defect or human error.
