CLOSE-UP FOOTAGE: Simi Valley Fireworks Explosion - July 4, 2013

[displayfireworks1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P0ZzK0cXUE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awRBqJDL3h0

[displayfireworks1]

Map for our overseas friends
http://pix.epodunk.com/locatorMaps/ca/CA_10899.gif
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2013-07/76565179.jpg
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site577/2013/0705/20130705_075057_0706_NWS_LDN-L-SIMI-FIREWORKS-DM001.jpg

[smilli]

Pff horrible, anyone any idea of what exactly happened?

[displayfireworks1]

http://media.vcstar.com/media/img/photos/2013/07/05/0706_vclo_fireworksfollow1_t607.JPG
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For those new to professional fireworks, if you are ever involved in such a terrible thing. My guess is they will drug and alcohol test every member of this crew. The also probably told them do not touch anything at the scene. What initially appears weird to me is more than one mortar appears to have had a shell blow in the mortar. I've seen this where one goes and throws the others, unless some sort of sympathetic effect set the others off.

[pyromustang]

This can happen to any of us.That is way at the pgi they alway teach distance is your friend. i worry every time i shoot a display and i also talk to every 1.4 customer i can about fireworks safety.

[displayfireworks1]

Over the years I have seen this sort of thing many times, it is usually these 5 or 6 inch shells. Many times, it is a brand that is know for high quality. Someone in the business told me, when a brand of fireworks starts getting very popular , they get more work than they can handle, so they start subcontracting to other companies in China to help them. That is when the quality drops. I am only speculating what happened here.

[Glasscitypyro]

It looks to me like a shell blew in the mortar blowing apart a rack causing the other shells to ignite and blow all over my best guess as what happened. I had a 10'' blow at the mouth of a pipe last night during the finale on a barge and let me tell ya when big shells blow like that they do some major damage.

[displayfireworks1]

We can see now it was an electrical display.
http://tribktla.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/simi-valley-fireworks1.jpg
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site577/2013/0705/20130705_011435_SIMI%20VALLEY%20FIREWORKS%20INVEST IGATION%2003%20(650x384).jpg]
http://www.cbs42.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2013/07/FireworksAciident.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/07/05/article-2356622-1AAE5ED1000005DC-93_634x377.jpg
http://media.nbclosangeles.com/images/722*406/fireworks-simi-valley-aftermath-2.jpg

[dime333]

First thing I notice is that they have all their racks slammed together tight. Without space ( a rack width ) between the racks, if a shell blows one tube, the tubes surrounding it are crushed and those shells cannot escape and blow in the tube. Chain reaction. July 6th finale I had 1- 2.5" salute blow in the tube and flatten/ destroy 4 other tubes around it. Had I not left space between racks, damage may have been far more severe than just a few mortars and a blown apart rack. I have always been instructed to NEVER slam the racks tight together. Just my 2 cents.

[Glasscitypyro]

I would like to add that there wouldn't have been a problem as far as people getting hit with shells and pieces of the mortars and such if they were not that close. to me the problem was the crowd was not the right distance away and thats the major problem.

[OverKill]

My sister in law was there. Big loud flash just below the building, she put it. I get the feeling the ATF is gonna have a little chat with the 54 holder.

[Engalwood]

Had a 2.5" Salute just like u did dime333. Same thing happened to me. Glad the racks were far apart

[displayfireworks1]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California authorities said Thursday an investigation by the fire marshal found that a Fourth of July fireworks accident in Simi Valley was caused by the malfunction of a shell inside its mortar tube.

The blast, which occurred during the annual aerial display, injured 28 people as debris from fireworks, mortar tubes and the racks holding them flew into the crowd.

The findings, released Thursday, conclude that a 5-inch diameter, two-part fireworks shell failed to function as designed and exploded inside a mortar tube, resulting in several subsequent sympathetic explosions.

The report found the show had proper permits, and Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said the display was properly designed and set up.
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A two part 5 inch shell?

[pyrorooky]

This can happen to any of us.That is way at the pgi they alway teach distance is your friend. i worry every time i shoot a display and i also talk to every 1.4 customer i can about fireworks safety.

Yeah valid point there. It can happen at any display. I think everyone when doing a big display has this sort of thing in the back of there mind but 10 out of 10 pyros always pray it does not happen. 2yrs ago in my hometown we had a similar problem at a public display. There was a bit of a malfunction with a mortar but weirdly the rack tipped over and they started flying into the crowd but luckily enough there was only a couple of minor injuries. Then again I guess every pyro goes into there displays a little worried.

[supermofunk8]

i bet the fire marshal chewed there ass out!!

[displayfireworks1]

I do not think the Fire Marshall said much. My experience has been the fire officials are just as worried as the fireworks people because they are usually responsible for setting up a safe perimeter and approving the displays. But you never know.

[Glasscitypyro]

like I said people were to close to the display part of the blame falls on the organizers for not having the crowd set up far enough away. This is also why companies must have insurance for cases like this.