This is a list of fireworks accidents and incidents, including pyrotechnics fire and explosion. The list is sortable by casualties and date.
Date Event Location Country Casualties Structure 5 May 1869 C. N. Romaine & Brothers fireworks factory explosion Petersburg, Virginia United States 12 deaths Factory 4 November 1902 Fireworks explosion at Madison Square New York City 15 deaths 21 June 1903 Fireworks explosion in downtown shop Paterson, New Jersey 17 deaths Warehouse 3 July 1908 S. S. Kresge Fireworks Explosion Cleveland, Ohio 7 deaths Five and dime store 3 July 1909 Nampa Fire of 1909 Arnold Cigar Store, Nampa, Idaho 4–5 deaths, unconfirmed Cigar store 6 March 1928 Fireworks factory explosion Samarang, Java Indonesia 20+ deaths Factory 3 April 1930 Pennsylvania Fireworks Display Company factory explosion Devon, Pennsylvania United States 9 deaths Factory 1 July 1937 Drake Drug Company fireworks explosion Nampa, Idaho 6 deaths Drug Store 6 November 1942 Rochester Fireworks Company explosion Perinton, New York 11 deaths Factory 1 April 1947 Fireworks factory explosion Clinton, Missouri 10 deaths 5 June 1953 Alco Fireworks Co. explosion Houston, Texas 4 deaths Warehouse 23 June 1958 Fireworks stand explosion Salvador, Bahia Brazil 100+ deaths 24 August 1964 Fireworks ignite storage tanks Atlatlahucan Mexico 45 deaths 27 May 1970 Carpentersville Fireworks Company explosion Huntley, Illinois United States 3 injuries Factory 17 May 1971 Continental Fireworks Company explosion Pisgah, Illinois 3 deaths, 5 injuries 13 June 1971 Fireworks explosion destroys school Puebla Mexico 13 deaths 6 March 1972 Melrose Display Fireworks Company explosion Orland Park, Illinois United States 3 deaths, 16 injuries Factory 4 July 1972 Bangs Lake Park explosion Wauconda, Illinois 1 death, 8 injuries Park 30 May 1973 Children injured by discarded shell Huntley, Illinois 2 injuries Factory 9 June 1973 Worldwide Fireworks Company explosion McHenry, Illinois 7 injuries 18 February 1977 Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm fire Xinjiang 61st Regiment China 694 deaths, 161 disabled Public hall 10 August 1982 Rockingham Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co. Inc Seabrook, New Hampshire United States 4 dead, 3 injured Factory 27 May 1983 Benton fireworks disaster Benton, Tennessee 11 deaths, 1 injury 7 September 1984 C23 tragedy Qala, Gozo Malta 7 deaths, 1 injury Patrol Craft Fast 20 May 1985 Illegal fireworks factory explosion Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio United States 9 deaths Factory 25 June 1985 Aerlex Fireworks plant explosion Hallett, Oklahoma 21 deaths, 5 injuries 5 April 1986 1986 San Francisco fireworks disaster San Francisco, California 8–9 deaths, 20 injuries 4 July 1987 National Mall Fireworks Display Washington DC 4+ injuries Park 25 September 1987 Celebrity Fireworks plant explosion Rialto, California 1 death Factory 12 December 1988 Mexico City fireworks disaster Mexico City Mexico 62+ deaths, up to 83 injuries Market 22 March 1989 Fengate fireworks factory explosion Peterborough United Kingdom 1 firefighter death, over 100 injuries Factory 14 February 1991 Culemborg fireworks disaster Culemborg and Vianen Netherlands 2 deaths, dozens of injuries Factory 7 March 1991 Bright Sparklers fireworks disaster Sungai Buloh Malaysia 26 deaths, 83 injuries 21 June 1991 Fireworks store explosion Rio de Janeiro Brazil 22 deaths Warehouse 7 June 1994 Fireworks factory warehouse fire Maricopa County, Arizona United States 1 death Factory 31 January 1996 1996 Shaoyang explosion RFX factory in Shaoyang, Hunan China 134 death, 405 injuries RDX factory 3 July 1996 Fireworks stand explosion Lawrence County, Ohio United States 9 deaths, 11 injuries Shop 1 November 1996 Accidents in a number of fireworks factories Unknown China 51 deaths Factory 5 March 1997 Pyro Shows fireworks warehouse explosion LaFollette, Tennessee United States 4 deaths Warehousehttps://www.wate.com/news/local-news/deadly-fireworks-explosion-in-la-follette-20-years-later/ Retrieved 4 July 2023 3 July 1997 Riverfront Park fireworks display Alton, Illinois 3 deaths Bargehttps://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=200840239 Retrieved 6 May 2026 11 December 1998 Independence Professional Fireworks factory explosion Osseo, Michigan 7 deaths Factory 26 September 1999 Celaya fireworks disaster Celaya Mexico 63 deaths, 348 injuries Warehouse 1 December 1999 Explosion in a fireworks factory Unknown Brazil 39 deaths Factory 13 May 2000 Enschede fireworks disaster Enschede Netherlands 23 deaths, c. 950 injuries 1 January 2001 Volendam New Year's fire Volendam Netherlands 14 deaths, 241 injuries Nightclub 24 November 2001 Canecão Mineiro nightclub fire Belo Horizonte Brazil 7 deaths, 197 injuries 29 December 2001 Mesa Redonda fire Lima Peru 291 deaths, 134 injuries Shopping center 20 February 2003 The Station nightclub fire West Warwick, Rhode Island United States 100 deaths, 230 injuries Nightclub 4 April 2004 Plymouth fireworks disaster Plymouth, Pennsylvania 1 injury Feds: Manufacturing Of Fireworks May Have Caused Blaze 7 April 2004 - Retrieved 9 May 2026 Factory 3 November 2004 Seest fireworks disaster Seest Denmark 1 death, 24 injuries Factory 30 December 2004 Cromañón nightclub fire Buenos Aires Argentina 194 deaths, 1,492+ injuries Nightclub 4 December 2006 Festival Fireworks Factory East Sussex United Kingdom 2 deaths, 12 injuries Factory 31 December 2007 Fireworks explosion at Bulacan Bocaue Philippines 4 missing (later found back), 7 injuries Shops 1 February 2008 Istanbul fireworks disaster Istanbul Turkey 22+ deaths, 100+ injuries Factory 30 March 2008 WrestleMania XXIV Orlando, Florida United States 0 deaths, 40 injuries Football stadium 19 April 2008 Factory nightclub fire Quito Ecuador 15 deaths, 35 injuries Nightclub 21 September 2008 Wuwang Club fire Shenzhen China 43 deaths, 88 injuries 1 January 2009 Santika Club fire Bangkok Thailand 67 deaths, 222 injuries Nightclub 29 January 2009 Starmaker Fireworks Factory explosion Trece Martires Philippines 8+ deaths, 70+ injuries Factory 9 February 2009 Beijing Television Cultural Center fire Beijing China 1 death, 7 injuries Open-air fireworks show 5 December 2009 Lame Horse fire Perm Russia 156 deaths, 78 injuries Nightclub 4 July 2012 Big Bay Boom premature mass discharge San Diego, California United States 0 casualties Open-air fireworks show from four barges and a pier 5 September 2012 Sivakasi factory explosion Sivakasi India 40 deaths, 70+ injuries Factory 27 January 2013 Kiss nightclub fire Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul Brazil 242 deaths, 630 injuries Nightclub 20 June 2013 B.E.M. Fireworks explosion Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec Canada 2 deaths Warehouse 20 April 2014 Fireworks incident De Kuip, Rotterdam Netherlands 0 deaths Football stadium 30 October 2015 Colectiv nightclub fire Bucharest Romania 64 deaths, 146 injuries Nightclub 31 December 2015 Manila New Year's fireworks Manila Philippines 1 death, 380 injuries, thousands displaced Open-air fireworks show 10 April 2016 Puttingal temple fire Kollam, Kerala India 111 deaths, 350+ injuries Place of worship 20 December 2016 2016 San Pablito Market fireworks explosion Tultepec Mexico 42 deaths, 84 injuries Market 26 October 2017 Tangerang fireworks disaster Tangerang Indonesia 49 deaths, 46 injuries Factory 6 June 2018 Fireworks explosion Tultepec Mexico 7 deaths, 7 injuries Warehouse 5 July 2018 Fireworks disaster 24 deaths, 49+ injuries 16 March 2021 Ontario fireworks explosion Ontario, California United States 2 deaths, 1 injured Residential area 4 July 2021 LAPD firework disposal accident Los Angeles, California 17 injuries 4 July 2021 Spring Hill firework accident injuring a bystander and her son Spring Hill, Tennessee 2 injuries 4 July 2021 Death of Matīss Kivlenieks Novi, Michigan 1 death 6 June 2022 Hale Artificier Inc. Fireworks Storage Accident La Grange, North Carolina 1 death, 3 injuries Farm 14 July 2022 Bastille Day Cholet France 2 deaths, 7 injuries Open-air show 14 August 2022 2022 Yerevan explosion Yerevan Armenia 16 deaths, 61 injuries Warehouse 1 December 2022 "Magic in the Sky" warehouse blast Orlando, Florida United States 4 deaths, 1 injury 19 February 2023 Blitar fireworks explosion Blitar Indonesia 4 deaths, 13 injuries House 29 July 2023 Sungai Kolok fireworks disaster Su-ngai Kolok Thailand 10+ deaths, at least 118 injured Warehouse 26 September 2023 2023 Qaraqosh wedding fire Qaraqosh Iraq 107 deaths, 82 injuries Wedding hall 17 January 2024 Suphan Buri fireworks explosion Suphan Buri Thailand 23 deaths, 7 injuries Factory 7 April 2024 Death of Allen Ray McGrew Summerville, South Carolina United States 1 death House 28 October 2024 2024 Nileshwar temple fireworks disaster Kerala India 4 deaths, 154 injured Temple 7 December 2024 Bosa fireworks disaster Bogotá Colombia 1 death, 6 injured House 1 January 2025 Aliamanu Fireworks disaster Honolulu United States 6 deaths, 20 injured 16 March 2025 Kočani nightclub fire Kočani North Macedonia 62+ deaths, 155+ injured Nightclub 1 July 2025 Esparto, California fireworks explosion Esparto, California United States 7 deaths, 2 injuredBodies of 7 victims found in wreckage of Northern California fireworks warehouse, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025. , CBS News, 5 July 2025. Warehouse 2 July 2025 New Seabury Country Club fireworks explosion New Seabury, Massachusetts 8 injured Open Air 3 July 2025 Pacoima neighborhood house fireworks explosion Los Angeles 1 death, 4 houses burned House 18 July 2025 Düsseldorf fireworks accident Düsseldorf Germany 19 injured Open Air 15 February 2026 Lianyungang fireworks accident Jiangsu China 8 deaths, 2 injured Residential area 18 February 2026 Hubei fireworks shop explosion Hubei 12 deaths Warehouse28 February 2026Andhra Pradesh fireworks explosionVetlapalem, Andhra PradeshIndia21 deathsFactory21 April 2026Tamil Nadu fireworks explosionVirudhunagar, Tamil NaduIndia25 deaths Factory4 May 2026Liuyang fireworks factory explosion Liuyang, Changsha, HunanChina37 deaths, 51 injuriesFactory1 June 2026Malta fireworks factory explosionMagħtabMalta2 injuriesFactory
See also List of accidents and disasters by death toll List of industrial disasters List of nightclub fires (several resulting from pyrotechnics)
References