Fireworks Accident

[Knightmare]

Yesterday, there was an event at a friend's house where fireworks were used there.

I mentioned to everyone about children being a safe distance while lightning the fireworks and bracing cakes is absolutely essential. My shells were covered in a ready box for protection against any falling embers and sparks which was extremely helpful in the upcoming situation. These are standard safety practices everyone here is aware of when using all fireworks.

The neighbor came over and wasn't paying attention to anything I was saying here including bracing the cakes. He was actually shooting fireworks cakes near the ready box filled with my shells.

A cake tipped over he was lighting there and two children were struck with one being slightly burned.

My heart is broken in a million pieces.

When seeing the cake was shooting everywhere should I have done something else here? I am feeling guilty as hell. I feel like I should have shielded everyone from the cake with my body.

This event caused a panic attack in me which was so severe I literally blacked out.

I feel so horrible.

[Engineer Cat]

The neighbor came over and wasn't paying attention to anything I was saying here including bracing the cakes. He was actually shooting fireworks cakes near the ready box filled with my shells.

A cake tipped over he was lighting there and two children were struck with one being slightly burned.

It sounds to me that you did all you could to educate people on how to be safe. Sometimes it takes a learning lesson before it gets through thick skulls. After my shoot the kids at the party always want to play with safe and sane products and instead of just lighting them I teach them about safety and how to properly use them. None of them are my kids, but I'm the pyro that knows better so I feel obligated to keep them safe. The parents don't even think twice about their kids playing with products that could burn them.

I understand how you feel but it wasn't your fault if other people shooting cakes caused the child to be burned.

[Knightmare]

It sounds to me that you did all you could to educate people on how to be safe. Sometimes it takes a learning lesson before it gets through thick skulls. After my shoot the kids at the party always want to play with safe and sane products and instead of just lighting them I teach them about safety and how to properly use them. None of them are my kids, but I'm the pyro that knows better so I feel obligated to keep them safe. The parents don't even think twice about their kids playing with products that could burn them.

I understand how you feel but it wasn't your fault if other people shooting cakes caused the child to be burned.

I was actually crying about what happened there thinking about the children.

What disappointed me more was while crying my friends weren't even comforting me afterwards.

[Arclight]

It takes a while to get over a "near miss" incident. You keep going over the "what else could have happened?" aspect of it. Just give yourself some time and it will get better.

[Engineer Cat]

We had a neighbor at the shoot site decided he want to hand fire cans from his single mortar tube without telling me about it and I happen to be standing right next to his fence when he did it. I as well as other people at the party were only a few feet away when he did this and could of cause serious injury if something happened. He was also drunk. I don't drink all day until the show is over and I've confirmed nothing is live on the dock because I will NOT have being inebriated as reason if something went wrong. I had to snatch him up and yell at him to stop it and that he's putting everyone in danger. The whole reason we put the dock in the middle of the river is to make sure we have the safe distance and this clown is shooting 3 feet from me and everyone else.

[PYRODAN]

I am not aware how your site is set up, so I don't know how helpful I can be. But a few rules/things we do are:
1. No one shoots fireworks at the party but me. And I only shoot the show, no running around with roman candles or anything like that.
2. The shoot area is tapped off with danger/caution tape.
3. No one is allowed past the tape unless escorted by myself or, my friend who owns the property. (Also pays for half and helps with set up!)
4. We don't drink until after the show is over, mods in the back of my truck and every thing is doused with water.
5. Then the celebratory scotch and cigar! (Glenlivet 21 and Alec Bradley, Black Market. Churchill size.)
6. All parties are advised of the rules.

[Mattp]

I feel you did all you could,, and now that person and everyone else there should’ve learned a valuable lesson,, which is what you said in the first place ,, you must brace small cakes,!!! I feel bad that happened especially to a child,, and it is unfortunate but also very luckily only one kid was slightly burned,,, could’ve been a whole different story!!!…. And yes to everything pyrodan said

[Engineer Cat]

I like those rules Dan.

[Berserker23]

A cake blew apart last year during my show and hit an adult luckily no kids got hit he had a cut on his back I felt really bad about it, don’t let this ruin your love for fireworks it wasn’t your fault.

[Engineer Cat]

I mean there's a risk when being around fireworks. We do our best to mitigate those possibilities but things will happen. I would add to Dan's list of rules/things that the spectators should also be warned something unpredictable (could) happen so if that worries you, you might want to watch from someplace else. Because no matter how well we police our shoot site, you can't predict if a cake is poorly designed and ends up going rouge.

[Engineer Cat]

I was actually crying about what happened there thinking about the children.

What disappointed me more was while crying my friends weren't even comforting me afterwards.

That's probably because they don't understand how dedicated you are to the hobby and seeing anyone, especially a child get hurt doesn't resonate with them how bad that effects you.

But we are your friends, and understand exactly why you feel as you do. I hope everything is ok with the children that were injured by the neighbor. He's the one that should be feeling the way you are right now. Again, this is not your doing, or your fault.

I hope a poor decision on another persons part doesn't discourage you from continuing to enjoy the hobby.

[Arles]

Yesterday, there was an event at a friend's house where fireworks were used there.

I mentioned to everyone about children being a safe distance while lightning the fireworks and bracing cakes is absolutely essential. My shells were covered in a ready box for protection against any falling embers and sparks which was extremely helpful in the upcoming situation. These are standard safety practices everyone here is aware of when using all fireworks.

The neighbor came over and wasn't paying attention to anything I was saying here including bracing the cakes. He was actually shooting fireworks cakes near the ready box filled with my shells.

A cake tipped over he was lighting there and two children were struck with one being slightly burned.

My heart is broken in a million pieces.

When seeing the cake was shooting everywhere should I have done something else here? I am feeling guilty as hell. I feel like I should have shielded everyone from the cake with my body.

This event caused a panic attack in me which was so severe I literally blacked out.

I feel so horrible.

Sounds like everyone got very lucky. It's a good wakeup call for how easily and quickly things can go wrong. Give yourself a break, it sounds like the neighbor is completely at fault.

[Arclight]

Going forward, you might want to pick up a 12-pack of safety glasses from Amazon or Harbor Freight. Make it mandatory for kids, as well as long pants and closed-toe shoes. Make safety glasses available to adults. If folks are wearing safety glasses, the likelihood of a serious injury is pretty small even if this happens.

[Knightmare]

That's probably because they don't understand how dedicated you are to the hobby and seeing anyone, especially a child get hurt doesn't resonate with them how bad that effects you.

But we are your friends, and understand exactly why you feel as you do. I hope everything is ok with the children that were injured by the neighbor. He's the one that should be feeling the way you are right now. Again, this is not your doing, or your fault.

I hope a poor decision on another persons part doesn't discourage you from continuing to enjoy the hobby.


There were other dangers I remember seeing the previous season and was warning everyone about there as well.

I remember mentioning firecrackers should never be ignited and thrown because sometimes the inner core of the fusing is burning faster than the outer portion of the fusing. This gives the user a false sense of security making them believe there is more time for throwing the firecracker which leads to injuries.

PVC tubing should never be utilized because if shells malfunction inside the tubing dangerous shrapnel will be thrown everywhere injuring bystanders. HDPE should always be utilized when shooting fireworks shells.

My mortar racks are heavy enough by themselves but they're always braced with bricks as well.

They never heard anyone mentioning these things before which really scared me.

I am still suffering from what happened there because children were involved and they were terrified.

Heart is in a million pieces.

Everyone here understanding me is comforting.

[Knightmare]

Sounds like everyone got very lucky. It's a good wakeup call for how easily and quickly things can go wrong. Give yourself a break, it sounds like the neighbor is completely at fault.


He said bracing was completely unnecessary.

The Grace of God saved everyone from something extremely serious.

Feeling guilty because I wanted to jump on the cake shielding everyone.

This would have definitely caused me serious injuries because the cake was heavily overloaded.

[Arles]

He said bracing was completely unnecessary.

The Grace of God saved everyone from something extremely serious.

Feeling guilty because I wanted to jump on the cake shielding everyone.

This would have definitely caused me serious injuries because the cake was heavily overloaded.

Jumping on a cake is pretty much certain death. A wayward cake can cause injury, but I mean there are groups of people who literally run around shooting each other with them. Seeing anyone, particularly kids, get hurt is very upsetting, but take comfort in knowing they'll be okay. Trust me, killing yourself to save a kid from a burn isn't a good or fair trade off. You did the right thing.

[Icooclast]

it reminds me of an old saying: "you can lead a horse to water... but you can't make him drink" some times there is just nothing you can do. idiots are idiots, you did nothing wrong. don't punish yourself

[Rick_In_Tampa]

If this friend came over to your property or your shoot site and did this foolish thing, then yes. I'd say it's your fault for not controlling your shoot site.

However, you said this was at a friends house. So it wasn't your responsibility to secure the shoot site. Did you have a moral obligation to speak up when you saw someone about to do something unsafe? In my opinion, yes. Did you meet that obligation by trying to get this person to not do what he did? Clearly, the answer is yes. So in my mind, you did all that you could have done. The people that should feel bad are the guy who owns the property, and the moron that shot the cake that hurt the kid.

[Birdman]

If this friend came over to your property or your shoot site and did this foolish thing, then yes. I'd say it's your fault for not controlling your shoot site.

However, you said this was at a friends house. So it wasn't your responsibility to secure the shoot site. Did you have a moral obligation to speak up when you saw someone about to do something unsafe? In my opinion, yes. Did you meet that obligation by trying to get this person to not do what he did? Clearly, the answer is yes. So in my mind, you did all that you could have done. The people that should feel bad are the guy who owns the property, and the moron that shot the cake that hurt the kid.

This! You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink.

[Knightmare]

Thanks to everyone here for supporting me with your comments. It is greatly appreciated.

I am going to continue shooting fireworks shows but completely by myself.

As for my friends they're evidently not friends.

They haven't even called me since for checking on me. That really upsets me knowing this about them.