Fireworks canceled mid-show due to safety concerns

Published on July 05, 2022

On Monday, the Fort Worth's Fourth fireworks display was halted after several grass fires developed along the banks of the Trinity River, the Fort Worth Police Department reported.

After consultation with the pyrotechnic company, a decision was made to suspend the fireworks show, out of an abundance of caution, due to concerns about damage to additional tubes used to shoot off the fireworks display.

Tarrant Regional Water District, the organizers of the fireworks show at Panther Island, issued this statement: "The fireworks show at Fort Worth's Fourth was cut short tonight. We apologize that the show wasn't able to be completed. Necessary preparations were taken leading up to the event, and as safety is our No. 1 priority, the decision was made to cut the show short at the direction of the Fort Worth Fire Marshal."

Once the crowds departed the Trinity River area, the pyrotechnic technicians and theFort Worth Fire Department's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unitcompleted a review of the tubes. A decision was made to eliminate the remaining fireworks by discharging them in a controlled environment.

At about midnight, parts of the fireworks display were discharged to make the area safe. There was no threat to public safety while carrying out this disposal.

On Tuesday morning, the FWFD Bomb & Arson Unit in collaboration with the pyrotechnics company began eliminating the remaining fireworks at Panther Island Pavilion. This was done in a controlled environment under controlled circumstances by professionals. There was no timetable given for how long this process would take.

By midnight on July 4, FWFD had been dispatched to 203 grass fires across the city, which is 126 more than in 2021.

Get articles like this in your inbox.Subscribe to City News.

Tagged as:

• Community Safety