Drivers Treated To Fireworks Show As Trailer Burns

July 4th came a little early for drivers stuck on Interstate 75 outside Chattanooga, Tennessee, over the weekend, but at least they had a fireworks show to watch. Officials responded to a report of a burning cargo trailer on I-75 in Ooltewah, reports NBC News. The trailer apparently contained a large amount of fireworks, which shot off in all directions as it burned. Fortunately, no one hurt, including the unnamed driver of the truck that was hauling the explosive cargo.

Because we live in the age of the internet, several eyewitness videos of the impromptu fireworks display are available, both from bystanders on a nearby overpass as well as the Chattanooga Fire Department, who had this to say:

Chattanooga Fire, Tri-Comm, and law enforcement responded to a vehicle fire on I-75NB past the Ooltewah exit Saturday night. It involved fireworks that were going off in different directions, endangering drivers. Interstate traffic was stopped in both directions while firefighters extinguished the fire. There were no injuries.

Firefighters and law enforcement stopped traffic a safe distance away from the burning trailer, then waited until the explosions died down before attacking the blaze. Since no one was in immediate danger, there was no reason for firefighters to risk approaching while fireworks were still going off.

There are no reports of any charges being filed, so this appears to have been an honest accident. Consumer fireworks are legal in Tennessee, though some towns and cities ban them. In Arkansas, where I live, pop-up fireworks tents are beginning to appear all over, cashing in on high demand for July 4th. I'm seeing them in locations as unlikely as church parking lots and next door to a fire department. The merchandise has to get there somehow, and this truck and trailer were likely part of that supply chain.

Something clearly went quite wrong here, but one thing the transporter did right was hauling the fireworks in a trailer, separate from the vehicle they were driving. That's probably why they were able to pull over and escape unharmed before the whole rig went up. YouTuber Colin Furze demonstrated what happens when you light a whole fireworks show inside a van, and it quickly got out of control, even for him. Of course, he also rigged it to blow up, ignoring most safety precautions like putting them in a sparkproof container. Please don't do that, and be as safe as possible while celebrating your freedom to blow stuff up, if you have it where you live.