Eight people were injured in a firework explosion on Wednesday, July 2, at the New Seabury Country Club in Mashpee, according to the Mashpee Fire Department.
One person was flown by helicopter to Rhode Island Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries and another was transported to Falmouth Hospital with minor injuries, according to the fire department’s statement.
Around 4:37 p.m., while setting up for the annual Fourth of July firework display, multiple fireworks exploded. Six other people were evaluated at the scene and declined to be taken to the hospital, according to the statement.
Preliminary causes most likely suggest an accidental ignition during the wiring process, according to Jake Wark, public information officer for the State Fire Marshal.
“The exact nature of that ignition remains under investigation,” Wark wrote in an email on July 3 to the Times.
The fireworks display was led by a licensed professional and the setup had been inspected by local and state officials, said Wark. Ninety fireworks did not ignite, and bomb technicians safely disposed of them early on July 3.
The golf course is at 95 Shore Drive West.
Local and state agencies responded to the incident, including Mashpee Police Department, Cotuit Fire Department, the state Fire Marshal’s Office, the state Department of Fire Services, state police and a bomb squad, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Bomb Squad, and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Agency.
“Fireworks are inherently dangerous, even under controlled conditions and expert use,” Wark said in the email. “As dramatic as the ignition was, the Mashpee Fire Department’s pre-planning, site determination, permitting requirements, on-scene presence, and immediate action prevented what could have been a catastrophic event with significant property damage, more serious injuries, or much worse. This is why it’s so important to leave these devices to people trained to handle them.”
Authorities continued to investigate the incident on July 3.
Staff writer Rachael Devaney contributed to this story.
Desiree Nikfardjam is a reporter covering breaking and trending news. She graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. You can reach her at [email protected].
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