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A firework shell explodes near a crowd of people near Main Street and Court Street in Charles City, Iowa on Friday, July 4, 2008, during Charles City's Fourth of July Fireworks Display, right as the show was gearing for the finale. (AP Photo/Charles City Press, Ryan Kronberg)
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Dozens hurt during fireworks explosion in Charles City
BY PEGGY SENZARINO, Courier Lee News Service
CHARLES CITY --- Stories of heroism and horror surfaced Saturday as eyewitnesses talked about explosions that shattered the city's Fourth of July celebration and injured 37 Friday night.
Charles City Assistant Fire Chief Dave Boehmer said the blasts were apparently caused by a misfire involving 13 racks of firework tubes.
As many as three people suffered injuries that were "more severe than minor," according to Eric Whipple of the Charles City Fire Department. He did not know the severity of those injured.
No names or condition reports were available Saturday.
He said officials don't know yet just why the fireworks malfunctioned.
"It appears they went horizontally across the ground, some of them," Boehmer said.
The fireworks were being set off from the former Theisen's parking lot at 90 S. Main in Charles City.
At least one witness said the scene looked like a war zone following the accident.
Doug Sadler was watching the fireworks from the courthouse parking lot when the accident happened.
The area was packed with people on beach towels or in lawn chairs enjoying the show. Sadler said he was coming back from the bathroom when an explosion shook the area.
"I think there was more than one explosion. The first time it went off I really cringed. I know I got hit in the back of the leg by something," Sadler said.
The second explosion which he described as a "real big boom" threw him to the ground.
He covered his head. Then he went to check on his family, including four children sitting about six feet away.
They weren't hurt.
He then took off to see if he could help the injured.
"Right away, the first person I saw, her legs were just torn up," he said.
Another woman was bleeding heavily and Sadler took off his shirt and told her to apply pressure to the wound to try and stop the bleeding.
The woman was apparently in shock and didn't respond.
"I don't know if she couldn't hear me. I kind of had to put her hands over the shirt and apply pressure."
By that time, nurses had arrived and were handing out gloves to those who were helping the injured.
"I held it there for a while until one of the nurses took over," Sadler said.
"There were people wandering around in shock. There were people wandering around who didn't know they were bleeding. It was like a war zone really."
Karen Smith, Charles City, was also in the courthouse parking lot when the explosions broke out.
"I thought it was the finale. Things were just coming, just shooting at us. All of a sudden there was this big ball of fire. People were running. People were just screaming."
The eyewitnesses said help arrived quickly.
Charles City's Dan Farmer was on the south side of the bridge right across from the Theisen lot.
"People's reaction time was very fast. Everyone was very responsive and very helpful. I am so glad to have those people (police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel)," Farmer said.
"There were two explosions. It was like a war scene. You could just see people; it was totally unexpected."
Dan Fairholm, Charles City, who did a tour in Iraq with the 1133rd Transportation Co., likened the sound and force of the explosion to a mortar attack.
"It was pretty scary. It got really smoky and then all of a sudden you could just see it coming at you. It was just a bunch of bright lights," Fairholm said. "It fell just short of where we were. Everybody is very thankful to be alive."
Sadler said the situation brought out the best in some people and the worst in others.
"A lot of people were hugging each other for comfort and support. They were getting it. We've got a good community here," Sadler said.
But others were taking advantage of the situation.
Sadler said people were emptying their coolers of beer and other drinks to give the ice to medical personnel treating victims at the scene.
"Scumbags started coming up and grabbing the beers off the ground. I just couldn't believe it. I just looked at them in disgust."
According to a spokesperson at the Floyd County Medical Center, 34 victims were treated Friday night. Another three victims came to the hospital Saturday seeking treatment for injuries related to the fireworks incident.
Condition reports were not immediately available but Boehmer said there were no fatalities.
The supplier of the fireworks has been identified as J & M Displays based in Yarmouth. The local operator listed on the permit is Chris Garden of Charles City.
Calls to both the supplier and Garden were not returned.
Boehmer said the Fire Department inspected the display an hour before the fireworks were set off.
Charles City Mayor Jim Erb said he was happy with how the city's law enforcement personnel and firefighters responded to the situation.
"This obviously was a very stressful and difficult moment," Erb said.
Fireworks in Charles City have been set off from the same downtown location since the mid-1900s, Erb said.
Charles City Assistant Fire Chief Dave Boehmer said the blasts were apparently caused by a misfire involving 13 racks of firework tubes.
As many as three people suffered injuries that were "more severe than minor," according to Eric Whipple of the Charles City Fire Department. He did not know the severity of those injured.
No names or condition reports were available Saturday.
He said officials don't know yet just why the fireworks malfunctioned.
"It appears they went horizontally across the ground, some of them," Boehmer said.
The fireworks were being set off from the former Theisen's parking lot at 90 S. Main in Charles City.
At least one witness said the scene looked like a war zone following the accident.
Doug Sadler was watching the fireworks from the courthouse parking lot when the accident happened.
The area was packed with people on beach towels or in lawn chairs enjoying the show. Sadler said he was coming back from the bathroom when an explosion shook the area.
"I think there was more than one explosion. The first time it went off I really cringed. I know I got hit in the back of the leg by something," Sadler said.
The second explosion which he described as a "real big boom" threw him to the ground.
He covered his head. Then he went to check on his family, including four children sitting about six feet away.
They weren't hurt.
He then took off to see if he could help the injured.
"Right away, the first person I saw, her legs were just torn up," he said.
Another woman was bleeding heavily and Sadler took off his shirt and told her to apply pressure to the wound to try and stop the bleeding.
The woman was apparently in shock and didn't respond.
"I don't know if she couldn't hear me. I kind of had to put her hands over the shirt and apply pressure."
By that time, nurses had arrived and were handing out gloves to those who were helping the injured.
"I held it there for a while until one of the nurses took over," Sadler said.
"There were people wandering around in shock. There were people wandering around who didn't know they were bleeding. It was like a war zone really."
Karen Smith, Charles City, was also in the courthouse parking lot when the explosions broke out.
"I thought it was the finale. Things were just coming, just shooting at us. All of a sudden there was this big ball of fire. People were running. People were just screaming."
The eyewitnesses said help arrived quickly.
Charles City's Dan Farmer was on the south side of the bridge right across from the Theisen lot.
"People's reaction time was very fast. Everyone was very responsive and very helpful. I am so glad to have those people (police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel)," Farmer said.
"There were two explosions. It was like a war scene. You could just see people; it was totally unexpected."
Dan Fairholm, Charles City, who did a tour in Iraq with the 1133rd Transportation Co., likened the sound and force of the explosion to a mortar attack.
"It was pretty scary. It got really smoky and then all of a sudden you could just see it coming at you. It was just a bunch of bright lights," Fairholm said. "It fell just short of where we were. Everybody is very thankful to be alive."
Sadler said the situation brought out the best in some people and the worst in others.
"A lot of people were hugging each other for comfort and support. They were getting it. We've got a good community here," Sadler said.
But others were taking advantage of the situation.
Sadler said people were emptying their coolers of beer and other drinks to give the ice to medical personnel treating victims at the scene.
"Scumbags started coming up and grabbing the beers off the ground. I just couldn't believe it. I just looked at them in disgust."
According to a spokesperson at the Floyd County Medical Center, 34 victims were treated Friday night. Another three victims came to the hospital Saturday seeking treatment for injuries related to the fireworks incident.
Condition reports were not immediately available but Boehmer said there were no fatalities.
The supplier of the fireworks has been identified as J & M Displays based in Yarmouth. The local operator listed on the permit is Chris Garden of Charles City.
Calls to both the supplier and Garden were not returned.
Boehmer said the Fire Department inspected the display an hour before the fireworks were set off.
Charles City Mayor Jim Erb said he was happy with how the city's law enforcement personnel and firefighters responded to the situation.
"This obviously was a very stressful and difficult moment," Erb said.
Fireworks in Charles City have been set off from the same downtown location since the mid-1900s, Erb said.
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