A Fourth of July celebration at Utah’s LaVell Edwards Stadium took a terrifying turn when fireworks malfunctioned and veered into the crowd, resulting in six people being hospitalized. The incident occurred during the opening ceremonies of the Stadium of Fire event, part of Provo’s Freedom Festival held on the Brigham Young University campus.
The show was paused for approximately 15 minutes as emergency responders attended to the injured spectators. Emory Cook, a spokesperson for the Freedom Festival, confirmed that six individuals were taken to the hospital. However, the total number of those affected and the severity of their injuries were not immediately clear.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the mishap, which happened as fireworks were set off inside the stadium while jets flew overhead. Social media videos captured the moment some fireworks strayed from their intended path, landing among the audience in the stands. Around 45,000 people had gathered for the sold-out event.
“Definitely a firework malfunctioned, but we’re still trying to figure out how that happened,” said Cook. Teresa Jack, a Provo resident who witnessed the scene from the field, described seeing a rocket soar over her head before it exploded in the east stands, creating a bomb-like cloud of smoke. Chaos ensued as people in the crowd began signaling for help and shouting “stop the show” to the stage speaker.
Ms. Jack praised the well-coordinated efforts that helped avert a stampede, noting that people were instructed to stay seated while those injured were directed to seek medical attention at a designated tent. Provo Fire and Rescue’s Jeanie Atherton reported that their team, already on standby as the event commenced, managed to assist the injured within one minute.
Although only one individual was transported to the hospital by her department, Atherton acknowledged that others might have sought medical care independently. The concert, headlined by the Jonas Brothers, continued after a safety clearance from the Provo fire marshal and a thorough inspection of the fireworks, confirmed BYU police spokesperson Karen Ellingsworth.
Cook mentioned that the fireworks that malfunctioned inside the stadium were small-scale compared to the grand finale pyrotechnics, which are stored outside the venue. The number of injuries at this year’s Stadium of Fire concert, billed as “the nation’s largest stadium fireworks spectacle,” has not been officially confirmed.
Several people were injured at the Fourth of July event in Utah after errant fireworks shot into the crowd, authorities said. The incident occurred at the Stadium of Fire event Thursday at Brigham Young University’s LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, CBS affiliate KUTV reported. A Provo Police Department representative said the mishap happened shortly after a jet flyover.
Police officials told ABC affiliate KTVX that a number of people were injured. Subsequent reports said that six people were taken to the hospital, but officials have not yet confirmed the number of injured. Footage shared on social media and later posted on NBC affiliate KSL appeared to show some fireworks errantly shooting into the stadium stands following the flyover. Authorities told KSL that the fireworks hit people in the stands’ east section, including one person who got struck in the face.
The show paused so the injured could be transported to the hospital, but did resume, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. “Safety is of the utmost importance to us. All pyrotechnics are thoroughly checked before the show, and were rechecked after the incident,” Emory Cook, a representative for America’s Freedom Festival, which mounted the event, said in a statement shared by KTVX. “Our thoughts are with those who are impacted by the incident and we are following up with them to make sure they are okay,” added Cook.
America’s Freedom Festival is described as “a private, non-profit, non-political foundation whose mission is to celebrate, teach, honor, and strengthen the traditional American values,” according to the festival website. The Stadium of Fire, the festival’s main event, is held annually at LaVell Edwards Stadium and billed as “the nation’s largest stadium fireworks spectacle.”
The show, which was headlined by the Jonas Brothers, also featured Zion’s Youth Symphony & Chorus from the Las Vegas area. PEOPLE contacted the Provo Police Department and Emory Cook of America’s Freedom Festival for comment on Friday, July 5, but did not immediately hear back.
Source: People, CBS, ABC, NBC, Salt Lake Tribune
