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SANFORD, Fla. – A lightning strike destroyed fireworks equipment ahead of Sanford’s Fourth of July celebration on Friday, according to the police department.
A spokesperson for the police department announced on social media that a storm on Friday afternoon brought down lightning in the city’s marina area, where all of the fireworks were being stored.
“The lightning struck, and a chain of events occurred in which the fireworks ignited, and all of them went off,” she said. “And (it) also destroyed a fair amount of the equipment and the control panel used for the sequence of events for tonight.”
Police noted that no one was injured in the incident, though there will not be a fireworks display on Friday evening as a result of what happened.
Despite that, the “Star Spangled Sanford” event is still planned to go on as scheduled from 6 – 9 p.m.
According to city officials, the event will feature live music, food vendors and other festive activities around Fort Mellon Park.
“The safety of our residents and visitors remains our top priority,” a release from the city reads. “We ask that attendees do not bring any personal fireworks to the event. Unauthorized fireworks pose serious safety risks to both the public and emergency personnel.”
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