Fireworks meant for July 4 celebration in Maryland accidentally explode

Employees of the fireworks company behind the July 4th celebration in Ocean City, Maryland, received minor injuries Sunday after the fireworks accidentally exploded.

First responders initially thought a car was on fire, but when they arrived at the scene they discovered there was “an unintentional discharge of fireworks” being set up for the show, the Ocean City Fire Department said in a Facebook post Sunday morning.

The employees declined transport to a local hospital, and no other beach or boardwalk visitors were injured as a result of the explosion, the fire department said.

“Prior to the fireworks being off-loaded from the vehicle, Fire Marshals secure a safe zone around the fireworks and put other safety protocols in place,” Ocean City Fire Chief Richie Bowers said in the statement. “It is this very zone and safety protocols that kept anyone else from being injured.”

Fire marshals are on scene and continue their investigation into the fireworks discharge.

Out of caution, the town’s downtown fireworks display has been canceled but Ocean City’s uptown show at Northside Park will continue.

CNN’s Ganesh Setty contributed to this report.