fireworks news stories on Newser

Hundreds of NYE Partiers Injured in Philippines

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:30:05 CST

Officials in the Philippines tried to curb the usual tide of injuries this New Year's Eve and even had some success, the New York Times reports. Hundreds of people are injured there every New Year's by fireworks, fighting, and celebratory gunfire—so officials recently mounted a campaign, running off posters...

See Whole Show's Worth of Fireworks Go Off in 1 Minute

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:27:15 CST

It may not have gone exactly as planned, but a Scotland community fireworks display was pretty spectacular nonetheless. Due to a technical glitch, a show that was scheduled to be about 30 minutes long was instead over in less than one, as every single firework was set off simultaneously on...

CBS Airs Fake Views of Boston Fireworks

Tim Karan — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:34:13 CDT

Something was off about the broadcast of Boston's Fourth of July celebration—a few miles off. CBS aired footage of fireworks exploding behind the State House, Quincy Market, and Fenway Stadium, but astute viewers soon realized such views would have been physically impossible from where the fireworks were launched. Turns...

Teen Straps Camera to Fireworks

Kevin Spak — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:20:06 CDT

Ever wondered what July 4 looks like from a firework's perspective? Well wonder no longer. Just watch this clip from 19-year-old videographer Jeremiah Warren, who strapped a tiny spy camera onto a series of fireworks. The little 808 #11 camera miraculously survived multiple flights, and provided some pretty high-quality video—...

Man Killed in New Year's Fireworks Accident

Evann Gastaldo — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 16:04:05 CST

An Illinois man got a little too excited about the new year, and paid for it with his life. Robert Freund, 31, decided to celebrate by lighting a large firework shortly after midnight this morning, reports Chicago Breaking News . It went off, injuring him in the head and chest, and...

Oil Cleanup Spoils Gulf's July 4th Parties

M. Morris — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:14:00 CDT

Fourth of July celebrations will be scaled down in many Gulf Coast towns, where the BP oil spill and cleanup effort are taking a big bite out of holiday fun. Cash-strapped governments dealing with the tourism bust have canceled fireworks displays, and some have moved their pyrotechnics inland because of...

NY Man Blows Arm Off With Fireworks

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:41:07 CDT

Police say a man lighting fireworks has blown off his arm at a party on New York's Long Island. Suffolk County police say 36-year-old Eric Smith was using a 3-foot-long metal tube to shoot mortars from the street near his Islip Terrace home around 5:45pm yesterday.

Shahzad Did Dry Run for Times Square Attack

Rob Quinn — Thu, 06 May 2010 07:11:00 CDT

Faisal Shahzad did a practice run to Times Square in the SUV he used for last weekend's attempted car bombing, according to law enforcement officials unraveling the terror suspect's movements. Shahzad drove to Times Square in the SUV three days before the attack and returned two days later to drop...

Sydney Starts Off 2010 With a Bang

Harry Kimball — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:25:27 CST

Sydney welcomed 2010 a little early this year, with a 9pm fireworks display over the harbor for the family crowd. That hour in Australia happens to fall at midnight in Auckland, New Zealand, which usually lays claim to the first big celebration of the New Year, but appears to have...