Fourth of July show canceled after fireworks barge bursts into flames

Dramatic video footage captured a fireworks barge in a coastal Massachusetts town going up in flames Wednesday, the day before an anticipated annual Fourth of July firework celebration.And now authorities have been forced to cancel the show.The barge in the north shore town of Marblehead caught fire in the middle of the night, the Marblehead Fireworks and Harbor Illumination wrote on social media early Thursday morning.

Video shared by Boston 25 News shows a boat moving past the waterside fire and its thick plumes of smoke.The barge, in the water of Marblehead Harbor, was going to be used during a firework celebration Thursday at 9:15 p.m., local officials said.“The Fire Marshal won’t allow our vendor to perform any fireworks until a determination of how the barge was able to catch fire,” Marblehead Fireworks and Harbor Illumination noted in their post.

Marblehead Fire said firefighters responded along with the Marblehead Harbormaster.Marblehead Fire, Beverly Fire, the US Coast Guard and the Massachusetts Environmental Police were all called to the scene.The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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