This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A fireworks explosion on Thursday hurt three people and set a Piute County town's fire station ablaze.
Four people were preparing for a Days of '47 fireworks show in Marysvale, a town a few miles north of Piute Reservoir, when static electricity caused a firework to explode in a volunteer firefighter's hands, said Councilwoman Ann Kennedy.
About 5:20 p.m., Kennedy heard the first explosion from the park where the celebration was getting started. That caught everyone's attention.
It's difficult to relate the sound that followed, she said, as 70 to 80 fireworks went off inside the metal fire house.
"There was just smoke and a terrible sound. I don't know how to describe it. Just a huge boom," Kennedy said. "It sent chills."
A medical helicopter arrived and the firefighter who was holding the first firework was flown to a burn center. His hands, arms, and part of his neck and face were injured, Kennedy said.
A 12-year-old boy was also taken to a local hospital for carbon monoxide inhalation, since he was stuck in the fire house, Kennedy said. A second man also suffered a small burn to his arm.
A fire truck from the nearby town of Junction arrived and doused the flames, which also damaged an ambulance and Maryvale's own firetruck.
The town is "pretty blessed" that no one died, Kennedy said. When she heard the explosions, she thought someone would have.
The fire house was severely damaged, Kennedy said, though the full extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
The town's firetruck might be back in commission after some repairs, but the ambulance's future is unclear. In the meantime, Junction is loaning the town the same firetruck that came to the rescue Thursday, while Sevier County is loaning an ambulance.
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