Footage captured on a cellphone showed the moment a trailer transporting fireworks along a Tennessee highway caught fire, setting off an unexpected pyrotechnic display as it ground to a halt.
The Collegedale, Tenn., tri-community volunteer fire department said in a Facebook statement on Saturday that it responded to a fire involving a pickup truck and a box trailer on Interstate 75 northbound.
The trailer was full of fireworks, all of which ignited and exploded. Police shut down the highway in both northbound and southbound lanes so that responders could safely access the scene, the department said.
It said in a separate Facebook video that the blaze “involved fireworks that were going off in different directions, endangering drivers.”
The footage shows a plume of grey smoke rising from the burning trailer as fireworks detonate and crackle across the highway.
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“Interstate traffic was stopped in both directions while firefighters extinguished the fire,” the statement added, noting that no injuries were reported and roads were eventually reopened.
Crews from the Chattanooga Fire Department also assisted at the scene along with several neighbouring county fire departments, it said.
Police did not say where the load was heading.
In Tennessee, most consumer fireworks are legal, but some cities and counties may restrict or prohibit their use. Organized public fireworks shows must have permits that comply with state requirements.
In Hamilton County, where the incident occurred, residents are permitted to set off fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the jurisdiction, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office, which also urges people not to do so in the vicinity of crowds, homes or businesses.
“If you are going to use fireworks, please remember to have a water source and/or extinguisher available should a fire occur,” it added.
Last July, a deadly explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Northern California caused a massive blaze that led to evacuations after pyrotechnics began detonating in the air, scattering debris and creating a huge smoky fireball, according to officials and footage taken at the scene.
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The remains of seven people reported missing after the explosion were recovered about a week later.
Instances of fireworks-related fires in Canada have also been reported recently. Last month, a Toronto driver crashed into a fireworks store, causing a four-alarm fire.
No one was found inside the vehicle, and no one was reported as injured.
Fireworks are legal in Canada, but when and where residents can set them off depends on municipal regulations. Canadians are also advised to only purchase fireworks from licensed retailers.
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