"The surprise blaze..." hhWhat!

How much of a surprise is this?

"...the shell was rigged to detonate much closer to the ground -- to show the 40 seminar participants what can happen if fireworks aren't prepared properly, he said."

"They knew they were going to have fires..."

"Sagaria said live fireworks malfunctions were intended parts of the seminar."

"At first, the plan worked...it created a shower of red-hot ashes that caused about 20 tiny fires simultaneously."

as a PGI member, ATF and state-certified pyrotechnician, all I can say is... that will happen. I am also a member of a local guild that put on a display for the PGI convention in Gillette, Wyoming that resulted in seven small fires and the burnination of someone's tent (thankfully no injuries). I've met John Sagaria and know him to be a professional at the absolute height of his game... sounds like maybe the local fire department or the event organizers weren't quite prepared. I always have at least a few "Indian" packs around and full of water for every show... and if there is so much dry grass that it looks like it's going to be an issue, it's usually no problem to get the local fire department to bring out a pumper and soak the area beforehand...

eh. bet it was cool. don't mess with pyros.

Suspect has leathery wings, consummate V markings, one arm...

That is stoooooopid. That's right, stOOOOOOpid... with a capital OOOOOO.

OH! I get it! A Homestar reference! What a clever and original inside joke! Nobody would think to reference THAT site...

Well, except maybe EVERYONE IN THE FREAKIN UNIVERSE! PLEASE make it stop.

"We should have had more fireworks extinguishers, probably."

Um... duh maybe?

Can't wait for the follow up sessions on "Alcohol and boating accidents" and "Preventing teenage pregnancy"

/thought the fire was actually caused by a Bush-Kerr flamewar

IRONIC

Only in Pennsylvania.

Bellefonte's Logan and Undine companies responded, as did volunteers from Pleasant Gap and Milesburg. No one was reported injured at the scene, which is within Restek's 22-acre property.


Nothing from Pixley, Hooterville or Crabwell Corners?

delphi_ote: Didn't get much chocolate in your Easter basket today, I take it.

I agree with schwab. It is very ironic that fireworks would cause a fire.

What's the difference between a fireworks extinguisher and a fire extinguisher?

With all due respect to SisypheanActivist, it sounds as if these professionals were at best unprepared. That the grass was so dry was probably a good thing in that it demonstrated how easily a misfire can lead to an out-of-control brush fire. The folks conducting the demonstration, however, surely should have noted the field's dry condition before the event. It's boggling to think that their only fire contingency was to have some number of handheld fire extinguishers on hand. Seems like basic common sense to have some form of water available just in case.

I didn't RTFA yet, but based on the Fark™ headline, I would say this is a prime candidate for the IRONIC tag.

A fireworks display that is supposed to demonstrate how to safely perform a fireworks display itself causes a non-safe situation. In other words... Irony.

I think this deserves the Ironic tag...but I understand why submitter was a bit gun shy about that.

re: all I can say is... that will happen.

all I can say is... BULLshiat

/unless you're a rookie

Chariset No. WAY too much. I've had so much chocolate, I think my eyes are going to start gushing blood! Insulin shock is my way of remembering that Jesus died for my sins and came back as a bunny that lays eggs.

Why, do you think I'm being grumpy? I'M NOT GRUMPY!

Perhaps letting Great White off with community service was not such a good idea.

okay, just checking. Remember, if you go into a hyperglycemic coma, there's a/n historical precedent for resurrection...

Two acres?

WOW WHATA BLAZE!!!

During a small town safety demonstration, a fireworks shell was exploded near the ground in unsuitable weather conditions amidst tinder-dry grass by under-equipped staff. The result was
a) nothing
b) a fire
c) the explosion actually put out a nearby fire
d) the explosion triggered an artesian well into creating a fountain of water
e) a giant cute baby's head appeared in the smoke cloud

If you said "c" or "d", then you get your boy scout irony badge! If you said "e", you have a future in photoshopping!

this is exactly the right place for an ironic tag.

It's not that they are FIREworks that started a fire, Marz...

It's that the put on a demonstration specifically so people would know how not to accidently caused fires... and they accidently caused a fire.

It's very simple, very accurate irony.

I would agree with nodog if the situation were . . .
"LA Lakers put on a basketball skills camp but fail to make three pointers"
but not
"group of slack-jawed yokels put on a basketball skills camp but fail to make three pointers"

The _expected_ outcome of a mob of semi-degenerate mullet-wearing cousins in wife-beater t-shirts putting on a fireworks display is _in fact_ a conflagration or a wedding.

/I use extremism and powerful language here to make a point
//aw - who am I kidding - I use extremism and powerful language here to amuse myself and potentially annoy others, but the wise among you understand what I'm saying.

Marz...

Now I gotcha. You aren't arguing definitions. My confusion. I hope you understand that there is a lot of confusion about irony around here. Didn't want to perpetuate the confusion.

/not wise, but now know more about marzipanic for next time

I think we're about ready for a "Pennsylvania" tag.

I thought this would be required posting...

Cross-thatched cottages surrender.

Ahem...

"LA Lakers put on a basketball skills camp but fail to make three pointers"


Not particularly ironic.

"LA Lakers put on a basketball skills camp, thinking htey are the shizznit, but get their ass handed to them on the court by mob of semi-degenerate mullet-wearing cousins in wife-beater t-shirts who were SUPPOSED to be their students

THAT would be pretty ironic.

/loves irony debates on posts that DIDN't get the "ironic" tag
//hates misuse of faux-html-closing-tags, uses them anyway
///drunk on tequila

Congratulations alto_reed_on_a_tenor_sax. Could someone please pin an "Irony Merit Badge" on the gentleman lying on the floor next to the lime and salt shaker.


img src = "man_using_fake_html_closing_tags.jpg"

Bellefonte certainly is an interesting town with a lot of rednecks.

sigh....
ok, YMW, i'll bite

the point of the demonstration was to show what happens when a "low break" occurs. basically, they removed some of the lift powder from the shell so that it broke just above the ground rather than at its apex. this is an important thing for new shooters to be aware of... it WILL happen during a show at some point. these folks hired John Sagaria to teach a safety course and demonstrate possible shell failures, and that is what he did.

fireworks cause fires, all the time. it's not as if they were in a residential or commercial area, and it's not as if any property damage or injuries occurred. no big deal.

/get your license, then come play. til then, shut up.

I live just outside Bellefonte and used to work at Restek. For those of you thinking it's a town full of rednecks... yeah, you're pretty much right.

The funny thing is that Restek has large tanks of highly flammable chemicals on site (they're a gas chromatography company), so had that little fire gone the wrong way, the story would have been much bigger.

SisypheanActivist --

Hey, I'll bite too. I'm also a PGI member and long time display opreator, now pretty much retired. I also know John, though not well.

For the record, I concur with your assessment. However, not having been there it's really hard to day if I'd have done things differently. It is handy to have a pumper truck on hand for this sort of thing, but then, it's hard to forsee all eventualities. Sometimes fire people take a very casual attitude about this sort of thing. Sometimes they just don't take suggestions well, but again, I wasn't there. Then also, sometimes reporters don't get the story exactly right either. Nice picture though.

I only shake my head having this happen so close to home. Central Pennsylvania is full of morons, but most of the stupid news is caused by the "highly intelligent" students at Penn State.