Morning sky ablaze in South Carolina town as fireworks containers burn on July 4th

Residents of one South Carolina town got an early and unscheduled fireworks show on the Fourth of July after multiple fireworks storage containers went up in flames just after dawn.

It happened off U.S. 21 in the York County town of Fort Mill, and the rockets’ red glare was most definitely accompanied by the sound of bombs bursting in air.

The storage containers were outside Davey Jones Fireworks, and the effort to douse the flames forced the York County Sheriff’s Office to close busy Carowinds Boulevard from Highway 51 to the Interstate 77 exit ramp.

On Friday, the sheriff’s office announced the fire has been ruled an arson, but declined to release details.

A short video tweeted July 4 by the York County Sheriff’s Office showed firefighters working to douse the fire as rockets exploded all around them, and sparklers shot into the air. Other videos posted on social media by witnesses showed firefighters ducking to dodge fireworks as they shot into the air and flew across this highway.

Thick white smoke accompanied the explosions, covering the ground like a thick fog, videos shows.

Deputies also posted photos that showed multiple fireworks storage trailers were gutted by the fire. The bright red and yellow store itself was not part of the fire, investigators said.

The fire started around 5:45 a.m. in the “fully loaded” containers, reported WSOC. It took crews about 45 minutes to douse the flames, and no firefighters were injured, the station reported.

Investigators have not released details of how they determined it was arson. Officials with the Flint Hill Fire Department told WCNC that the Connex Storage containers held “dozens of cardboard boxes holding fireworks.”

Davey Jones Fireworks bills itself as a “massive fireworks superstore.”

“We have Artillery Shells, Assortments, Firecrackers/Salutes, Fountains, Multi Shots, Heavy Weight Multi Shots, Novelties, Roman Candles, and more,” says the website.