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Out of control fireworks display in Whakatane. Photo submitted by Robert Hepple - Source: ONE News -
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Whakatane firefighters were forced to run for cover on Saturday night after a public fireworks display went haywire.
A stray spark set off a massive explosion of fireworks that set fire to scrub land, catching out organisers and cutting the display short.
The misfire saw 40 minutes' worth of entertainment set off in one go.
The displays at the Whakatane Yacht Club have pulled in the crowds for 28 years but on Saturday night the explosions and flames were not supposed to happen.
"We had a bit of a stray spark come from somewhere and it set the whole cache of fireworks off," says Principal Rural Fire Officer Bill Wycherley.
The mishap sent out a fireball, turning the horizon orange within seconds, and excitement turned to fear as a wall of fire made its way along a spit.
"As soon as it became apparent something was wrong everybody just jumped in their cars and left," an eyewitness told ONE News.
The public were separated from any danger by the river but organisers were trapped in the thick of it.
"It started exploding down here and sending things all around us ... people diving for cover over the bank," says Wycherley.
Two people were taken to hospital with minor cuts and burns.
On Sunday firefighters dampened down areas that were too dangerous to get to overnight.
But despite the incident the fire service says public displays are still the best way to go.
"It's just the size and the intensity of these things that creates distance from public to where they're being ignited that creates the safety factor," says Wycherley.
Several investigations will be carried out into what went wrong before any permits are issued for next year's event.
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