FLORENCE, Ky. — One man is dead after a firework explosion at his Florence home, the Boone County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.
Deputies were called to a home on the 200 block of Melinda Lane around 10:30 p.m. July 4 for the report of a "traumatic injury involving a firework."
When they arrived, investigators said they discovered the remains of 48-year-old Brian Simpson. He was attempting to light a commercial-grade firework using a homemade mortar tube, according to deputies.
Lt. Chris Hall with the Boone County Sheriff's Office said what started as a Fourth of July celebration, quickly turned into a nightmare.
"A family’s life has been completely changed forever, from a simple tragedy," Hall said.
Hall said the explosion was not necessarily a firework malfunction, rather it appears to have been user error.
The firework, Hall said, was one that would typically be seen in a professional show — not something available for purchase at retail stores. It was designed for electronic detonation and was meant for instant ignition.
"It wasn’t the type of firework you would have in your neighborhood, it was a larger type," Hall said.
Deputies said Simpson cut the wick in half and when the firework was lit, it immediately exploded, killing him.
"People watched this happen," Hall said. "People were trying to give first aid, it was just mass chaos."
The Boone County Sheriff's Office is trying to determine the type of firework during their investigation. Investigators are also looking into where and how Simpson obtained it, and if alcohol was a factor.
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