With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Video: Let's Revisit The Most Epic 4th Of July Fireworks Fail
Every year, San Diego is home to a massive fireworks show that draws in half a million people. While the event is normally pretty spectacular, it was especially epic three years ago when things went awry.
The 2012 Big Bay Boom fireworks show (which will forever be known in history as the Big Bay Bust or Big Bay Blunder), was supposed to blast fireworks off of four barges in a synchronized pyrotechnic show. It was supposed to last 17 minutes. Instead, what eager onlookers got was an explosion of 7,000 shells of fireworks in the sky all at once—in about 30 seconds.
It was equally glorious, beautiful, loud and kind of scary. But don't worry, nobody was hurt during the fireworks fail.
Sponsored message
The folks who operated the fireworks show blamed the mishap on a computer glitch. The people who came to watch the show were a little disappointed to say the least. “I said, ‘If this is the beginning of the show, the rest of the show is going to be awesome,” Juliann King, who was at the fireworks show, told U-T San Diego. “We saw one more firework.”
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
