Third man dies as result of explosion

Pittsburg Morning Sun - August 22, 2005

Cody Soper, 21, of Scammon, has become the third victim of a fireworks explosion that happened Thursday in Crestline.

Soper died Saturday night at Saint John's Medical Center Burn Unit in Springfield, Mo.

According to the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal, six employees of Fireworks Spectacular were loading aerial display fireworks from a storage magazine at the company's storage facility into a portable trailer headed to St. Louis for several scheduled fireworks displays.

At approximately 10 a.m., during loading, an explosion occurred, causing fires in both the magazine and trailer.

Faron Trey Robinson, 27, and Daniel Lee Groves, 28, both of Scammon, were killed in the blast.

Soper, Craig Banke, of Cherokee, Michael Lee Dalton Jr. and Ryan Holding, of Columbus, were injured. Banke, 32, still remains at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo. Holding, 24, was treated and released from the hospital on Thursday. Dalton, 34, is recovering at home from minor injuries.

Fireworks Spectacular deals in class B or public display fireworks. According to the Kansas State Fire Marshal, witnesses reported that while the employees were loading the boxes into the trailer, one of the boxes made a sound and then exploded. The explosion of the one box caused other fireworks to ignite, causing the detonation of most of the remaining shells and the subsequent fire in both the magazine and trailer. The magazines at the facility were separated and kept at a certain distance from one another to keep fires - in the event of one occurring - from spreading to the other storage containers.

The exact cause of detonation of the first box is still under investigation by the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kansas Highway Patrol. Class B fireworks are regulated by the ATF.

Funeral services and arrangements for Soper are pending and will be announced by the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home of Weir.

Services for Groves will be at 2 p.m. today at the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home of Columbus. Burial will follow at the Edgmand Cemetery.

Services for Robinson will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Community of Christ Church of Scammon.

Gwen Romine, KSFFA Webmaster - ksffa@earthlink.net
www.ksffa.com

CRESTLINE, Kan. -- A third victim of a fireworks explosion in southeast Kansas last week has died.

Cody Soper, 21, of Scammon, died Saturday night at Saint John's Medical Center Burn Unit in Springfield, Mo.

Two men, Faron Trey Robinson, 27, and Daniel Lee Groves, 28, both of Scammon, were killed Thursday after an explosion caused a chain reaction of explosions and fire at the Fireworks Spectacular Inc. warehouse.

Four others were injured, including Soper, 21, and Craig Banke, 32, of Cherokee, who remains in the hospital.

Two others, Ryan Holding, 24, of Columbus, and Michael Lee Dalton Jr., 34, of Pittsburg, were treated and released.

Authorities have said the six men were loading aerial display fireworks from a storage magazine to a trailer, which was headed to St. Louis for a series of fireworks displays there. The 40-acre storage site is 20 miles southeast of Pittsburg near the Missouri border.

Investigators said the fireworks shells were pre-squibbed, which means an electric match was attached to the shell's fuse before loading. They said most companies do this because it is considered safer than having pyrotechnicians attach matches in the field.

As the boxes were being loaded, witnesses said one box made a sound and exploded, setting off a chain reaction with the other crates.

The Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas Highway Patrol are investigating.

Fireworks Spectacular produces large, public displays throughout the nation.

A company spokesman has said this was the first accident of this type in the company's history.

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On the Net:

Fireworks Spectacular Inc.: http://www.fireworks-spectacular.com

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Information from: The Morning Sun, http://www.morningsun.net

http://www.kctv5.com

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Story last updated at 12:29 a.m. Saturday, August 20, 2005

 By STEPHANIE FARLEY
Morning Sun Staff Writer

Explosion leaves community asking 'Why?'

The question on the tip of people's tongues seems to be "why" in regards to the explosion at a fireworks storage facility in Crestline on Thursday. But no answer seems to be available at this point.

Jason Marietta, spokesman for Fireworks Spectacular Inc., was notified of the explosion by a secretary for the company. "Obviously when I found out, I got in my vehicle and got to Crestline as quickly as I could."

According to the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal, six employees of Fireworks Spectacular were loading aerial display fireworks from a storage magazine at the company's storage facility on Thursday in Crestline into a portable trailer headed to St. Louis for several scheduled fireworks displays. During loading, an explosion occurred, causing fires in both the magazine and trailer. The explosion, which occurred at approximately 10 a.m., killed two and injured four.

The Kansas Highway Patrol, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and EMS were on the scene when Marietta arrived.

"Most people don't notice some of the magazines back in the back off the road. You have to really know they're there to be looking," Marietta said. "And obviously when I saw stuff on fire still and things like that, I knew things weren't great. All I knew when I heard it was there's been a bad explosion down at Fireworks Spectacular. Nobody really knew what was going on."

But everything quickly sank in. Faron Trey Robinson and Daniel Lee Groves, both 29 of Scammon, were killed in the blast and Cody Soper, of Columbus, Craig Banke, of Cherokee, Michael Lee Dalton Jr. and Ryan Holding, of Columbus, were injured. Soper, 21, and Banke, 32, still remain at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo. Holding, 24, was treated and released from the hospital on Thursday. Dalton, 34, is recovering at home from minor injuries.

Fireworks Spectacular deals in class B or public display fireworks. According to the Kansas State Fire Marshal, witnesses reported that while the employees were loading the boxes into the trailer, one of the boxes made a sound and then exploded. The explosion of the one box caused other fireworks to ignite, causing the detonation of most of the remaining shells and the subsequent fire in both the magazine and trailer. The magazines at the facility were separated and kept at a certain distance from one another to keep fires - in the event of one occurring - from spreading to the other storage containers.

Investigators said the shells were "pre-squibed" - meaning the initiator (electric match) is attached to the fuse of the shell - and loaded into the boxes. According to the Kansas State Fire Marshal, this is a common practice in the fireworks industry so that the process can be done in a controlled and safer environment instead of at the scene of the display.

The exact cause of detonation of the first box is still under investigation by the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kansas Highway Patrol. Class B fireworks are regulated by the ATF. Autopsies for Robinson and Groves were scheduled for Friday morning in Topeka.

"Safety is your No. 1 concern, and you have to respect what you're dealing with because the minute you don't respect it is when accidents can happen," Marietta said. "And from talking with everybody that was down there and guys that were in the middle of it said, 'Everybody was doing what they were supposed to be doing. We were doing it the way we were supposed to. Why did this happen?' And that's an unanswered question right now."

In some ways, Marietta said, it's tougher to deal with because there isn't a known cause right now. "If you knew the cause and you knew what happened and there was a reason to blame, in some ways it would be comforting. And in some ways it wouldn't."

It's been a new experience for the company - partly owned by the Marietta family. The company has had an exemplary safety record, Marietta said, and has never had to deal with anything of this nature. "At this point, we're still in a state of shock and mourning.

"We're not mourning for them, we're mourning with them. It's kind of a big family. And when you have family involved in those companies, it just makes it hit that much closer to home."

Marietta said his, and that of the company's, thoughts and prayers went out to the families affected by the explosion. "It's bad," Marietta said of what he and his family were going through. "But I'm sure it's nothing compared to what the parents of those two boys are going through. It's hard to put into words I guess would be the best way to put it."

The entire fireworks industry has shown a lot of support for everyone involved, Marietta said.

"In terms of when you have an industry accident like this involving fatalities, it is felt throughout every member of the industry," said Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association in Bethesda, Md. "We work together to improve safety standards all the time, so when there is an incident we are all going to be very anxious to find out, 'Can one of these government agencies actually pinpoint a cause?'"

Heckman said Fireworks Spectacular was very well respected throughout the industry.

"These types of incidents are very rare," Heckman said.

http://www.morningsun.net

ESD JournalCould fireworks explosion have been caused by static on electric squib?

Two men killed in fireworks explosion, four others injured!

August 26, 2005

CRESTLINE, Kan. - A fireworks explosion killed two men and injured four others while they were loading a mobile trailer that was bound for a public fireworks display in St. Louis, Missouri.

Faron Trey Robinson, 27, along with Daniel Lee Groves, 28, both of Scammon, were killed in the explosion that occurred about 10:11 a.m. Thursday morning at the Fireworks Spectacular storage site on Wyandotte Road.

Six workers were moving fireworks from a fireworks magazine in a trailer onto a mobile trailer to be transported, said Paul Marquardt, public information officer with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Kansas City, Mo.

Injured in the explosion were Cody Soper, 21, of Columbus, who was still listed in critical condition, and Craig Banke, 32, of Cherokee, whose condition was upgraded to good. Both are at St. John's Regional Health Center in Springfield.

Ryan Holding, 24, Columbus, who had second-degree burns, was released Thursday from the hospital, while Michael Lee Dalton Jr., 34, who sustained minor injuries in the explosion, did not seek immediate medical attention, authorities said.

Michael Marietta, one of the owners of the family-owned Fireworks Spectacular, based in Pittsburg, Kan., said what is called an electric squib was attached to the shells when they were being loaded, but that was common practice.

"To my understanding, they had no idea of what caused this," Marietta said about the investigation.

Marquardt said witnesses said a box made a noise and then exploded. That explosion caused the other boxes to explode and burn. He said any number of things could have caused the first box to explode. The continuing investigation is focusing on trying to determine what caused the first explosion.

http://www.esdjournal.com

Third Kansas man dies from fireworks accident

A third victim of a fireworks explosion in southeast Kansas last week has died.

Cody Soper, 21, of Scammon died this weekend at St. John's Medical Center Burn Unit in Springfield, Mo.

Two men, Faron Trey Robinson, 27, and Daniel Lee Groves, 28, both of Scammon, were killed Thursday after an explosion caused a chain reaction of explosions and fire at the Fireworks Spectacular Inc. warehouse.

Four others were injured, including Soper and Craig Banke, 32, of Cherokee, who remains in the hospital.

Two others, Ryan Holding, 24, of Columbus and Michael Lee Dalton Jr., 34, of Pittsburg were treated and released.

-- Associated Press

Posted on Fri, Aug. 19, 2005

Fireworks blast kills 2, injures 3 Associated Press CRESTLINE - Fireworks blast kills 2, injures 3 An explosion killed two people and injured three others Thursday morning at a commercial fireworks storage site near this rural southeast Kansas community, the state fire marshal said. The explosion occurred around 10 a.m. at a large facility owned by Fireworks Spectacular Inc., based in Crestline. Two emergency helicopters were brought in to transport victims to nearby hospitals. The two men who were killed were identified as Trey Faron Robinson, 28, and Daniel Lee Groves, 29, both of Scammon. The injured were Cody Soper, 21, of Columbus, Craig Banke, 32, of Cherokee, and Ryan Holding, 24, of Columbus. All three were hospitalized at St. John's Regional Medical Center in nearby Joplin, Mo. The explosion destroyed a storage magazine and trailer containing fireworks housed at the 40-acre site. Deputy State Fire Marshal Karl McNorton said the accident occurred as workers were handling fireworks stored in large containers and semitrailers. The explosion occurred at a remote site about 20 miles southeast of Pittsburg near the Missouri border. Fireworks Spectacular produces large, public displays throughout the nation. Jason Marietta, a spokesman for Fireworks Spectacular, said it was the first accident of this type in the company's history. "This accident comes as a great shock to us, as safety has always been a priority within our organization," Marietta said in a statement. "Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the families of those touched by this tragedy." He said the cause of explosion "is still under investigation and we will release information as it becomes available." Neighbors said a single loud explosion was followed by a series of smaller explosions that shook homes. McNorton said state investigators were on the scene, along with agents of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas Highway Patrol. Chris Perez of Crestline told the Joplin, Mo., Globe that he was working at his computer at his home near the entrance to the site when the explosion shook his home. He was one of the first to arrive on the scene after the explosion. "I saw a trailer on fire and I could see movement around the scene," Perez said. "I walked back toward the trailers and one guy asked me if I wouldn't mind staying back. The guy asked me to go to the entrance and direct emergency vehicles to the scene. While I was at the entrance I saw two guys walking away from the scene with serious burns." Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association in Bethesda, Md., said federal regulations require fireworks to be stored in limited quantities in safe locations away from highways and other structures on site and adjacent property. "You're dealing with energetic materials and there's always higher levels of risk," Heckman said. "This is tough news for the whole industry to swallow. It's a closely knit industry." www.kansas.com     Explosion kills 2, injures 3 Cause of accident under investigation The Associated Press Friday, August 19, 2005 Crestline — An explosion killed two people and injured three others Thursday morning at a commercial fireworks storage site near this rural southeast Kansas community, the state fire marshal said. The explosion occurred about 10 a.m. at a large facility owned by Fireworks Spectacular Inc., based in Crestline. Two emergency helicopters were brought in to transport victims to nearby hospitals. The two men who were killed were identified as Ferb Trey Robinson, 29, and Daniel Lee Groves, 29, both of Scammon. The injured were Cody Soper, 21, of Columbus, Craig Banke, 32, of Cherokee, and Ryan Holding, 24, of Columbus. All three were hospitalized at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in nearby Joplin, Mo. The explosion destroyed a storage magazine and trailer containing fireworks housed at the 40-acre site. Deputy State Fire Marshal Karl McNorton said the accident occurred as workers were handling fireworks stored in large containers and semitrailers. Ray Brecheisen/AP Photo Law enforcement officials investigate the scene of an explosion at a fireworks storage facility Thursday near Crestline, which killed two and injured three others. The explosion destroyed a storage magazine and trailer containing fireworks housed by Fireworks Spectacular, a subsidiary of Jakes Fireworks, the company said. The explosion occurred at a remote site about 20 miles southeast of Pittsburg near the Missouri border. Fireworks Spectacular produces large, public displays throughout the nation. Jason Marietta, a spokesman for Fireworks Spectacular, said it was the first accident of this type in the company’s history. “This accident comes as a great shock to us, as safety has always been a priority within our organization,” Marietta said in a statement. “Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the families of those touched by this tragedy.” He said the cause of explosion “is still under investigation, and we will release information as it becomes available.” Neighbors said a single loud explosion was followed by a series of smaller explosions that shook homes. McNorton said state investigators were on the scene, along with agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas Highway Patrol. Chris Perez, of Crestline, told The Joplin Globe that he was working at his computer at his home near the entrance to the site when the explosion shook his home. He was one of the first to arrive on the scene after the explosion. “I saw a trailer on fire, and I could see movement around the scene,” Perez said. “I walked back toward the trailers and one guy asked me if I wouldn’t mind staying back. The guy asked me to go to the entrance and direct emergency vehicles to the scene. While I was at the entrance, I saw two guys walking away from the scene with serious burns.” Southeast Kansas is known for its fireworks companies. Pittsburg is the home of Jakes Fireworks Inc., founded 70 years ago by the Marietta family. The company imports fireworks from overseas and mainly sells them wholesale in all 50 states and several countries. It markets its products under various names including World Class Fireworks. Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Assn. in Bethesda, Md., said federal regulations require fireworks to be stored in limited quantities in safe locations away from highways and other structures on site and adjacent property. “You’re dealing with energetic materials and there’s always higher levels of risk,” Heckman said. “This is tough news for the whole industry to swallow. It’s a closely knit industry.”

Single crate may have set off fatal explosion

The Associated Press

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Crestline — Authorities investigating a fatal explosion at a fireworks storage site in southeast Kansas said Friday that they are focusing on a single crate they say exploded while it was being loaded into a truck.

The subsequent chain reaction of explosions and fire at the Fireworks Spectacular Inc. warehouse killed two people and injured four Thursday.

Two of the injured men, Cody Soper, 21, and Craig Banke, 32, still remain at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Mo. Ryan Holding, 24, and Michael Lee Dalton Jr., 34, were treated and released.

The two men who were killed were identified as Faron Trey Robinson, 29, and Daniel Lee Groves, 29, both of Scammon.

Investigators with the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office on Friday released their preliminary findings.

They said the six men were loading aerial display fireworks from a storage magazine to a trailer, which was headed to St. Louis for a series of fireworks displays there. The 40-acre storage site is 20 miles southeast of Pittsburg near the Missouri border.

Investigators said the fireworks shells were pre-squibbed, which means an electric match was attached to the shell’s fuse before loading. They said most companies do this because it’s considered safer than having pyrotechnicians attach matches in the field.

As the boxes were being loaded, witnesses said one box made a sound and exploded, setting off a chain reaction with the other crates.

The investigation is now zeroing in on what caused the box to ignite.

Fireworks Spectacular produces large, public displays throughout the nation.

http://www2.ljworld.com

 

The investigation indicates that six employees were in the process of loading aerial display fireworks from a storage magazine into a portable trailer for transportation to St. Louis, Mo. for several planned fireworks displays. The shells were "pre-squibed" and loaded into boxes. "Pre-squibed" means that the initiator (electric match) is attached to the fuse of the shell. This is a common practice in the fireworks industry so that the process can be done in a controlled and safer environment instead of at the scene of the display.

According to witness accounts, during the process of loading the boxes, one of the boxes made a sound and then exploded. The explosion of that box caused the other fireworks to ignite, causing the detonation of most of the remaining shells and the subsequent fire in both of the trailers. The exact cause of detonation of the first box is the focus of the ongoing investigation.

Autopsies were scheduled in Topeka, Kan., for the victims, Faron Trey Robinson, 29, and Daniel Lee Groves, 29, both of Scammon, Kan. Both Cody Soper, 21, and Craig Banke, 32, still remain at St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Mo. Ryan Holding, 24, was released from the hospital late yesterday evening and Michael Lee Dalton Jr., 34, is recovering at home from minor injuries.

CRESTLINE, Kan., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office (KSFMO), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office (CKSO) today announced preliminary results into the ongoing investigation of the fatal explosion and fire at the Fireworks Spectacular storage facility in Crestline.

ATF:   Paul Marquardt, Public Information Officer, 816-719-4524
CKSO:  Sheriff Steve Norman, 620-429-3992

^NN-NA287-AccidentKSFireworksExplo
Feed(s)
08/18/2005  - 21NA

Date:       8/18/2005
Story Slug: Accident
Title:      KS Fireworks Explosion
Dateline:   Crestline, KS
Format:     silent
Length:     1:06
Source:     KOAM

Handle:     NATL20050818345

Information:
An explosion at a company that stages fireworks displays nationwide leaves two
southeast Kansas men dead and three others hospitalized.
Federal agents are helping investigate the mid-morning blast at the 40-acre
property of Fireworks Spectacular near Crestline, close to the Missouri
border.
Officials say the accident occurred as workers were handling fireworks stored
in large containers and semitrailers. A trailer and a storage magazine were
destroyed.
The dead are identified as Ferb Trey Robinson and Daniel Lee Groves, both 29
years old and residents of Scammon. The three injured men, all from Kansas,
were taken to St. John's Regional Medical Center in nearby Joplin, Missouri.
A spokesman for Fireworks Spectacular says the accident was the first of its
kind in the company's history.

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