A Fourth of July weekend fireworks show meant to cap a soccer match instead sent fans scrambling, after pyrotechnics at BMO Stadium misfired and shot sideways into the stands. No one was reported hurt.
What happened
The trouble came after Angel City FC beat the Orlando Pride 2-0 on Friday evening, when the stadium launched a post-game fireworks display. Instead of climbing into the sky, several mortars fired low and across the pitch, with some skipping off the field and into seating areas, CBS Los Angeles reported. Video shared widely online showed the field filling with thick smoke as blasts went off in several directions and spectators ducked and hurried away.
No injuries reported
Despite the alarming scenes, no injuries were reported. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it did not respond to any injuries connected to the display, according to reporting by People. A stray firework was reported to have struck a stadium security guard on the field, though no one was said to have been harmed.
The club's response
Angel City FC acknowledged the malfunction in a statement. "A fireworks malfunction did occur during last night's post-match celebration," a club representative said, adding that its "medical and safety teams were on site and ready to respond," NBC Los Angeles reported. The club said stadium operations confirmed the venue was secure and that guests, staff, players and crew were able to leave safely, and that it is working with its pyrotechnics vendor to review the incident.
BMO Stadium, in Exposition Park near downtown Los Angeles, is the home of both Angel City FC and the LAFC men's team, and regularly stages fireworks and other displays. The review will likely focus on why the mortars fired at such a low angle, a failure that, on a busier or differently seated night, could have ended less harmlessly.
For now, the takeaway from a tense few moments was the one that matters most: a malfunction that looked frightening on video hurt no one.
