Thousands of people gathered for the annual fireworks show on the Fourth of July near Civic Center Park in Mentor.
And, , there was one moment that caused a few viewers to gasp in concern instead of awe.
A firework exploded prematurely while still on the rack, limning the skyline in bright orange and red.
Fortunately, no one was injured, Mentor City Manager Kenneth Filipiak explained in his weekly memo to City Council.
"One of the firework 'racks' misfired causing a shell to explode in
the rack," Filipiak wrote.
"Fortunately, in addition to the 350-foot safety zone enforced by our fire department, we also require the additional precaution of sandbags encompassing the 'racks.' In this instance the potential harm from such a misfire is severely curtailed and the sandbag placement proved effective as there were no injuries."
Mentor Fire Deputy Chief Pete Grendze said it is not known what caused the firework to malfunction and that several different types of manufacturing errors could have caused the premature explosion.
While no one was hurt at the city's show. Two people did injure themselves using "backyard" fireworks this week, according to the Mentor Fire Department.
The first injury was reported on Tuesday evening and the second on Wednesday. Paramedics treated both patients on scene.
The person who was burned Tuesday was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
