No injuries reported
There is a new warning for Plymouth beachgoers after a "malfunction" caused a fireworks barge to catch on fire during the Fourth of July fireworks celebration at the waterfront.
According to witnesses at the scene, the Monday night show began, but approximately 15 minutes into the performance, people saw random explosions on the barge.
The fire caused all the remaining shells to explode in all directions at once.
"Everything was going off really well, then all of a sudden, it all started going off all at once and you could tell something was wrong," one witness said.
"You could tell (the fireworks) were low ... and then you saw flashing lights out there," another witness said.
The barge fire lasted for about 10 minutes and spread to the second barge.
The State Fire Marshal's office said investigators were at the scene to investigate the incident.
"These incidents underscore just how unpredictable fireworks are even for trained professionals," State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said.
No injuries were reported.
The town said in a Facebook post that the barge fire resulted in many fireworks shells not detonating, and people are warned to stay away from any fireworks they find on the beach.
"Due to this unforeseen event, there will be a number of firework shells that will wash up on the shore at the beach, most likely Long Beach, although there could also be some at Nelson’s Park, Stephen’s Field and other shore locations," the town posted on Facebook.
The town said was working to clean up the shells as quickly as possible.
"The town is making every effort to clean these up immediately. However, the tides could wash up more over the next few days," the town posted.
People are asked to call police or fire if they spot a firework shell on the beach.
"We are asking that residents and visitors do not touch these fireworks as they could be dangerous and could result in serious injury if they were to explode. Please call and report any sightings so that the town can properly remove and destroy them," the town posted.
Another, smaller fire broke out on a fireworks barge in Salisbury. That fire was caused by a piece of trash that was left on the barge igniting.
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