The Mariposa Kiwanis Club drew one of the largest crowds in recent memory at its 17th annual Fourth of July celebration. A pyrotechnic mishap that could have spelled disaster, however, only delayed the show and did not cause any injuries.

According to Undersheriff Doug Binnewies, the fireworks show started around 9:15 p.m., and just 13 minutes later, a rail tilted, shooting a firework into the crowd right above the box seats in the Gold Bowl. It landed in a woman’s lap, and she threw it away from herself quickly. It exploded in a manner that Binnewies equated to a “flash bang.”

Binnewies, who was very close to the explosion, said several people, including himself, were disoriented by the explosion. “It was quite a bit of a shock,” Binnewies said. CAL FIRE and the pyrotechnic company quickly responded to the area to make sure no one was injured. The show was delayed by about 45 minutes.

Binnewies said the woman, Lori Grove, was visiting Mariposa and attended the event with her grandson. Her son is serving in Iraq. She was overcome with emotion both before and after the mishap. Grove told the crowd that an similar explosion in Iraq could have much different consequences for soldiers like her son.

The undersheriff said that the crowd was patient and understanding while the fireworks were moved away from the grandstand. “Everyone was incredibly well-minded,” he said. “There was no panic. The primary concern was safety.”

Once everything was back to normal and cleared by CAL FIRE, the show went on. “It was a great show,” Binnewies said. “We’re very lucky.”

It was a quiet holiday weekend. Mariposa County Sheriff Brian Muller said, “Overall, it was a really good weekend. It was really quiet and mello, and there wasn’t an unusual number of calls.”