A viral video that has been viewed nearly 40 million times on Twitter since it was posted Tuesday shows a home fireworks display gone wrong. It’s not clear when or where the video was taken.
In the video — captured by a SimpliSafe home security camera — a group of adults and children are seen relaxing in the front yard of a home as several people set up a fireworks show. After a moment, the first firework explodes, sending sparks into the group of people sitting on the lawn.
The adults immediately grab the children and wait in anticipation of the next fireworks, apparently assuming that the first explosion was a mistake, but the rest of the show will go off without a hitch. However, moments later, a fire erupts under the rear tire of a minivan parked in the driveway, which then ignites what appears to be a large box of fireworks just behind the vehicle.
Within seconds, the small fire turns into a series of explosions, sending the spectators fleeing as green, red and orange fireworks tear through the air, leaving a massive cloud of smoke in their wake.
The incident was caught on a security camera, and it is unclear if anyone was injured during the fireworks display gone awry.
According to the National Safety Council, thousands of people are injured in fireworks mishaps every summer, and the organization recommends Americans “enjoy fireworks at public displays conducted by professionals, and not to use any fireworks at home,” even if they are legal.
Fireworks also cause an average of 18,500 fires each year, the NSC said, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires and nearly 17,000 other fires.
For those who do choose to set off at-home fireworks, the council recommends the following safety tips:
- Never allow young children to handle fireworks
- Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
- Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
- Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
- Never light them indoors
- Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
- Never point or throw fireworks at another person
- Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
- Never ignite devices in a container
- Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
- Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
- Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire
- Never use illegal fireworks
Of course, amateurs aren’t behind every fireworks display gone wrong – in 2012, officials in San Diego set off hundreds of fireworks at the same time in an incident that came to be known as the Big Bay Bust.
