List of fireworks accidents and incidents

This is a list of fireworks accidents and incidents, including pyrotechnics fire and explosion. The list is sortable by casualties and date.

Date | Event | Location | Country | Casualties | Structure

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5 May 1869 | C. N. Romaine & Brothers fireworks factory explosion | Petersburg, Virginia | United States | 12 deaths | Factory
4 November 1902 | Fireworks explosion at Madison Square | New York City | United States | 15 deaths |
21 June 1903 | Fireworks explosion in downtown shop | Paterson, New Jersey | United States | 17 deaths | Warehouse
3 July 1908 | S. S. Kresge Fireworks Explosion | Cleveland, Ohio | United States | 7 deaths[1] | Five and dime store
3 July 1909 | Great Nampa Fire | Arnold Cigar Store, Nampa, Idaho | United States | 4–5 deaths, unconfirmed | Cigar Store
6 March 1928 | Fireworks factory explosion | Samarang, Java | Indonesia | 20+ deaths | Factory
3 April 1930 | Pennsylvania Fireworks Display Company factory explosion | Devon, Pennsylvania | United States | 9 deaths | Factory
1 July 1937 | Drake Drug Company fireworks explosion | Nampa, Idaho | United States | 6 deaths | Drug Store
6 November 1942 | Rochester Fireworks Company explosion | Perinton, New York | United States | 11 deaths | Factory
1 April 1947 | Fireworks factory explosion | Clinton, Missouri | United States | 10 deaths | Factory
5 June 1953 | Alco Fireworks Co. explosion | Houston, Texas | United States | 4 deaths | Warehouse
23 June 1958 | Fireworks stand explosion | Salvador, Bahia | Brazil | 100+ deaths |
24 August 1964 | Fireworks ignite storage tanks | Atlatlahuaca | Mexico | 45 deaths |
27 May 1970 | Carpentersville Fireworks Company explosion | Huntley, Illinois | United States | 3 injuries[2] | Factory
17 May 1971 | Continental Fireworks Company explosion | Pisgah, Illinois | United States | 3 deaths, 5 injuries[2] | Factory
13 June 1971 | Fireworks explosion destroys school | Puebla | Mexico | 13 deaths |
6 March 1972 | Melrose Display Fireworks Company explosion | Orland Park, Illinois | United States | 3 deaths, 16 injuries[2] | Factory
4 July 1972 | Bangs Lake Park explosion | Wauconda, Illinois | United States | 1 death, 8 injuries[2] | Park
30 May 1973 | Children injured by discarded shell | Huntley, Illinois | United States | 2 injuries[2] | Factory
9 June 1973 | Worldwide Fireworks Company explosion | McHenry, Illinois | United States | 7 injuries[2] | Factory
18 February 1977 | Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm fire | Xinjiang 61st Regiment | China | 694 deaths, 161 disabled[3] | Public hall
10 August 1982 | ROCKINGHAM FIREWORKS MANUFACTURING AND DISPLAY CO. INC | Seabrook, N.H. | United States | 4 dead, 3 injured | Factory
27 May 1983 | Benton fireworks disaster | Benton, Tennessee | United States | 11 deaths, 1 injury | Factory
7 September 1984 | C23 tragedy | Qala, Gozo | Malta | 7 deaths, 1 injury | Patrol Craft Fast
20 May 1985 | Illegal fireworks factory explosion | Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio | United States | 9 deaths | Factory
25 June 1985 | Aerlex Fireworks plant explosion | Hallett, Oklahoma | United States | 21 deaths, 5 injuries | Factory
5 April 1986 | 1986 San Francisco fireworks disaster | San Francisco, California | United States | 8–9 deaths, 20 injuries | Factory
4 July 1987  | National Mall Fireworks Display  | Washington DC | United States  | 4+ injuries[4] | Park
25 September 1987 | Celebrity Fireworks plant explosion | Rialto, California | United States | 1 death[5] | Factory
12 December 1988 | Mexico City fireworks disaster | Mexico City | Mexico | 62+ deaths, up to 83 injuries | Market
22 March 1989 | Fengate fireworks factory explosion | Peterborough | United Kingdom | 1 firefighter death, over 100 injuries | Factory[6]
14 February 1991 | Culemborg fireworks disaster | Culemborg and Vianen | Netherlands | 2 deaths, dozens of injuries[7] | Factory
7 March 1991 | Bright Sparklers Fireworks disaster | Sungai Buloh | Malaysia | 26 deaths, 83 injuries | Factory
21 June 1991 | Fireworks store explosion | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 22 deaths | Warehouse
31 January 1996 | 1996 Shaoyang explosion | RFX factory in Shaoyang, Hunan | China | 134 death, 405 injuries[8] | RDX factory
3 July 1996 | Fireworks stand explosion | Lawrence County, Ohio | United States | 9 deaths, 11 injuries[9] | Shop
1 November 1996 | Accidents in a number of fireworks factories | Unknown | China | 51 deaths[7] | Factory
5 March 1997 | Pyro Shows fireworks warehouse explosion |  LaFollette , Tennessee | United States | 4 deaths | Warehouse[10]
11 December 1998 | Independence Professional Fireworks factory explosion | Osseo, Michigan | United States | 7 deaths | Factory
26 September 1999 | Celaya fireworks disaster | Celaya | Mexico | 63 deaths,[7] 348 injuries | Warehouse
1 December 1999 | Explosion in a fireworks factory | Unknown | Brazil | 39 deaths[7] | Factory
13 May 2000 | Enschede fireworks disaster | Enschede | Netherlands[7] | 23 deaths, c. 950 injuries | Factory
1 January 2001 | Volendam New Year's fire | Volendam | Netherlands | 14 deaths, 241 injuries | Nightclub
24 November 2001 | Canecão Mineiro nightclub fire | Belo Horizonte | Brazil | 7 deaths, 197 injuries | Nightclub
29 December 2001 | Mesa Redonda fire | Lima | Peru | 291 deaths, 134 injuries | Shopping center
20 February 2003 | The Station nightclub fire | West Warwick, Rhode Island | United States | 100 deaths, 230 injuries | Nightclub
3 November 2004 | Seest fireworks disaster | Seest | Denmark | 1 death, 24 injuries | Factory
30 December 2004 | República Cromañón nightclub fire | Buenos Aires | Argentina | 194 deaths, 1,492+ injuries | Nightclub
4 December 2006  | Festival Fireworks Factory  | East Sussex  | United Kingdom  | 2 deaths, 12 injuries  | Factory
31 December 2007 | Fireworks explosion at Bulacan | Bocaue | Philippines | 4 missing (later found back), 7 injuries | Shops
1 February 2008 | Istanbul fireworks explosion | Istanbul | Turkey | 22+ deaths, 100+ injuries | Factory
30 March 2008  | WrestleMania XXIV | Orlando, Florida | United States | 0 deaths, Approx. 40 injuries  | Football stadium
19 April 2008 | Factory nightclub fire | Quito | Ecuador | 15 deaths, 35 injuries[11] | Nightclub
21 September 2008 | Wuwang Club fire | Shenzhen | China | 43 deaths, 88 injuries | Nightclub
1 January 2009 | Santika Club fire | Bangkok | Thailand | 67 deaths, 222 injuries | Nightclub
29 January 2009 | Starmaker Fireworks Factory explosion | Trece Martires | Philippines | 8+ deaths, 70+ injuries[12] | Factory
9 February 2009 | Beijing Television Cultural Center fire | Beijing | China | 1 death, 7 injuries | Open air fireworks show
5 December 2009 | Lame Horse fire | Perm | Russia | 156 deaths, 78 injuries | Nightclub
4 July 2012 | Big Bay Boom premature mass discharge | San Diego, California | United States | 0 casualties[13] | Open air fireworks show from four barges and a pier
5 September 2012 | Sivakasi factory explosion | Sivakasi | India | 40 deaths, 70+ injuries | Factory
27 January 2013 | Kiss nightclub fire | Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul | Brazil | 242 deaths, 630 injuries | Nightclub
20 June 2013 | B.E.M. Fireworks explosion | Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec | Canada | 2 deaths[14] | Warehouse
20 April 2014 | Fireworks incident | De Kuip, Rotterdam | Netherlands | Unknown | Football stadium
30 October 2015 | Colectiv nightclub fire | Bucharest | Romania | 64 deaths, 146 injuries | Nightclub
31 December 2015 | Manila New Year's fireworks | Manila | Philippines | 1 death, 380 injuries, thousands displaced[15] | Open air fireworks show
10 April 2016 | Puttingal temple fire | Kollam, Kerala | India | 111 deaths, 350+ injuries | Place of worship
20 December 2016 | 2016 San Pablito Market fireworks explosion | Tultepec | Mexico | 42 deaths, 84 injuries[16] | Market
26 October 2017 | Tangerang fireworks disaster | Tangerang | Indonesia | 49 deaths, 46 injuries | Factory
6 June 2018 | Fireworks explosion | Tultepec | Mexico | 7 deaths, 7 injuries[16] | Warehouse
5 July 2018 | Fireworks disaster | Tultepec | Mexico | 24 deaths, 49+ injuries[16] | Warehouse
16 March 2021 | Ontario fireworks explosion | Ontario, California | United States | 2 deaths, 1 injured[17] | Residential area
4 July 2021  | LAPD firework disposal accident  | Los Angeles, California  | United States  | 17 injuries[18] | Residential area
4 July 2021 | Spring Hill Firework Accident Injuring a Pregnant Bystander & Her 3-Year-Old Son | Spring Hill, TN | United States | 2 injuries[19] | Residential Area
6 June 2022 | Hale Artificier Inc. Fireworks Storage Accident | LeGrange, NC | United States | 1 death, 3 injuries | Farm
14 July 2022 | Bastille Day | Cholet | France | 2 deaths, 7 injuries | Open air show
14 August 2022  | 2022 Yerevan explosion | Yerevan | Armenia | 16 deaths, 61 injuries  | Warehouse
1 December 2022  | "Magic in the Sky" warehouse blast  | Orlando, Florida | United States  | 4 deaths, 1 injury[20] | Warehouse
19 February 2023  | Blitar fireworks explosion  | Blitar | Indonesia  | 4 deaths, 13 injuries[21] | House
29 July 2023  | Sungai Kolok fireworks disaster | Su-ngai Kolok | Thailand  | 10+ deaths, at least 118 injured[22] | Warehouse
26 September 2023  | Qaraqosh wedding fire | Qaraqosh | Iraq | 107 deaths, 82 injuries[23] | Wedding hall
17 January 2024  | Suphanburi fireworks disaster  | Suphan Buri | Thailand  | 23 deaths, 7 injuries[24] | Factory
7 April 2024  | Death of Allen Ray McGrew  | South Carolina | United States  | 1 death[25] | House
28 October 2024  | Nileshwar temple fireworks disaster | Kerala  | India  | 4 deaths, 154 injured [26][27] | Temple
7 December 2024  | Bosa fireworks disaster  | Bogotá | Colombia | 1 death, 6 injured  | House
1 January 2025  | Aliamanu Fireworks disaster  | Honolulu | United States  | 6 deaths, 20 injured [28] | House
16 March 2025  | Kočani nightclub fire | Kočani | North Macedonia | 62+ death, 155+ injured  | Nightclub
1 July 2025  | Esparto fireworks explosion | Esparto, California | United States  | 7 deaths, 2 injured[29][30] | Warehouse
2 July 2025  | New Seabury Country Clud fireworks explosion  | New Seabury | United States  | 8 injured [2] | Open Air
3 July 2025  | Pacoima neighborhood house fireworks explosion | Los Angeles, California | United States  | 1 death, 4 houses burned[31] | House
18 July 2025  | Düsseldorf fireworks accident  | Düsseldorf | Germany  | 19 injured[32] | Open Air

## See also

[edit]

* List of accidents and disasters by death toll
* List of industrial disasters
* List of nightclub fires (several result from pyrotechnic failures)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Cleveland's Saddest Fourth: The 1908 S. S. Kresge Fireworks Explosion=". Gray & Company, Publishers. 3 July 2013. Archived from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
2. ^ a b c d e f "Serious Firework Accidents in Illinois" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
3. ^ 西夫 (1995). "694条生命化为灰烬——一场没有公开报道的特大火灾". 新世纪 (4). Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
4. ^ Lancaster, John (5 July 1987). "Holiday Makes Mall the Village Green". Washington Post. p. 1. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
5. ^ "Archived copy". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
6. ^ "Poignant memorial service to Peterborough firefighter killed in Fengate explosion 30 years ago". 22 March 2019.
7. ^ a b c d e "'Uit Culemborgs ongeval viel geen les te trekken'". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 15 May 2000. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
8. ^ "新疆女子与男友同居10年家产被变卖才知对方是通缉犯". 亚心网. 15 December 2011.
9. ^ "25 years later, memories of Scottown fireworks explosion are still fresh". The Herald-Dispatch. 3 July 2021. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
10. ^ https://www.wate.com/news/local-news/deadly-fireworks-explosion-in-la-follette-20-years-later/ Retrieved 4 July 2023
11. ^ "Brazil, Mexico And Other Deadly Nightclub Fires In Latin America". The Huffington Post. 28 January 2013. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
12. ^ "Philippine fireworks factory explosion kills at least 8, injures 70 more". Wikinews. 29 January 2009. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
13. ^ Horn, Jonathan (12 July 2012). "July 4 fireworks fiasco solved - technically". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
14. ^ "2 die in fireworks factory blast near Montreal". Archived from the original on 27 August 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
15. ^ "One dead and 380 injured after Philippines firework displays". The Guardian. 1 January 2016. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
16. ^ a b c "24 doden, tientallen gewonden bij vuurwerkexplosies Mexico". NOS (in Dutch). 5 July 2018. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
17. ^ "2 Dead, 1 Injured in Southern California Fireworks Explosion That Caused Massive Fire". people.com. Naledi Ushe. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
18. ^ Jones, Kay; Yan, Holly (4 July 2021). "Man accused of storing 16 tons of fireworks at home, including devices that later blew up and injured 17". CNN. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
19. ^ DeSantis, Rachel (4 July 2021). "Pregnant Mom, 3-Year-Old Son Hospitalized After Firework Accident at Block Party: 'Chaos'".
20. ^ Mayorquin, Orlando (12 June 2023). "Fatal Blast at Fireworks Warehouse Was Preventable, OSHA Says". New York Times. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
21. ^ "House Exploded in Blitar, 4 Killed, 13 Injured, Including Babies - advertise.biz.id". 20 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
22. ^ Ashton, Ben (29 July 2023). "At least 10 killed after devastating fireworks warehouse explosion in Thailand". Metro News. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
23. ^ Gritten, David (27 September 2023). "Iraq fire: Around 100 killed in blaze at wedding party in Qaraqosh". BBC News. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
24. ^ "ระทึก! "โรงงานพลุระเบิด" สุพรรณบุรี ตาย 23 คน สาหัส 7 คน". Thai PBS (in Thai). Retrieved 17 January 2024.
25. ^ Alund, Natalie. "Man dies of 'massive head trauma' after lighting firework off Uncle Sam top hat on July 4th". USA Today. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
26. ^ "Nileshwar disaster: Collector says temple has no permission to conduct fireworks". Mathrubhumi. 29 October 2024.
27. ^ "Over 150 Injured, 8 Critical, In Fireworks Accident During Temple Festival In Kerala". News18.
28. ^ "3 women dead, over 2 dozen people wounded in Aliamanu fireworks explosion". 2 January 2025.
29. ^ Bodies of 7 victims found in wreckage of Northern California fireworks warehouse, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025.
30. ^ [1], CBS News, 5 July 2025.
31. ^ \- Pacoima fireworks explosion kills man, burns four homes, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025.
32. ^ "19 injured after fireworks show goes awry at fair in western Germany", Associated Press, 19 July 2025.

* v
* t
* e

Fireworks accidents and incidents

>100 deaths|

* Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm, China (1977)
* Cromañón nightclub, Argentina (1994)
* Shaoyang, China (1996)
* Mesa Redonda shopping center, Peru (2001)
* Station nightclub, Rhode Island (2003)
* Lame Horse nightclub, Russia (2009)
* Kiss nightclub, Brazil (2013)
* Puttingal temple fire, India (2016)
* Qaraqosh, Iraq (2023)

≤100 deaths|

* Benton, Tennessee (1983)
* C23 boat, Malta (1984)
* Hallett, Oklahoma (1985)
* San Francisco (1986)
* Mexico City (1988)
* Culemborg, Netherlands (1991)
* Sungai Buloh, Malaysia (1991)
* Celaya, Mexico (1999)
* Enschede, Netherlands (2000)
* Seest, Denmark (2004)
* Istanbul, Turkey (2008)
* Sivakasi, India (2012)
* Tultepec, Mexico (2016)
* Tangerang, Indonesia (2017)
* Duttapukur, India (2023)
* Nileshwar, India (2024)

All structures were factory warehouse if unspecified above. See also: List of industrial disasters.
*[Approx.]: Approximately
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