Equipment malfunction ends Cape Charles fireworks show early

Fireworks watchers at Cape Charles Monday night came away disappointed after the traditional display ended early after an equipment malfunction.

Cape Charles Town Manager John Hozey said “following an almost perfect 4th of July celebration in Cape Charles this year, an unfortunate equipment malfunction ended our traditional fireworks display early and abruptly. About five minutes into the planned 20-minute show, a tube containing one of the firework mortars failed. This created a fire on the ground that encompassed other nearby tubes. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, and the operator had the bulk of the yet unexpended fireworks in other racks far enough away so that they were not initially threatened.

“The vendor quickly cleared the area and called for the Fire Department. The Fire Department responded immediately and assessed the situation. Out of an abundance of caution, the Fire Department requested the area surrounding the site be cleared. A drone was brought in to survey the area of the fire. When it was deemed safe to do so, the Fire Department moved in and doused the area with water. This eliminated any further threat.

“While this was an extremely unfortunate accident, as accidents go, it was handled extremely well. Hats go off to the Fire Department, the Police Department, the Harbor staff, and everyone else who cooperated and helped to keep this incident from becoming any more serious than it was.

“Cape Charles is known for our 4th of July celebrations, so this accident was certainly a disappointing end to an otherwise fabulous day. The Town would therefore like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding, as safety must always come first. Planning for next year’s celebration will begin almost immediately, and so we hope to see everyone back again for what is a uniquely Cape Charles Independence Day celebration.”

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