TMP Photo by Kelly Hite. Fireworks shot off through out the evening as firefighters tried to control the blaze.
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Colorful fireworks exploded in south Murfreesboro after fire destroyed the Fireworks Supermarket Monday evening off South Church Street.
Assistant Fire Chief Gary Farley said two or three employees escaped the store without injury and no Murfreesboro firefighters suffered injuries in battling the blaze that started about 5 during rush hour.
“Thankfully, no one was hurt,” Farley said. “I’m glad nobody got hurt. That’s the main thing.”
Cause of the fire is under investigation by the fire marshal’s office. Damage figures were unknown. South Church Street remains closed from Rutherford Boulevard to Interstate 24.
“Employees heard mortar rounds going off,” Farley said, adding they evacuated the building. “What caused it, we don’t know.”
Merchandise ranged from the simple fireworks to commercial fireworks, he said. Three to four cases of fireworks were located near the front door.
“Right now it’s an uncontrolled fire,” Farley said about 6:45 p.m., expecting firefighters will be on the scene much of the night.
Murfreesboro Police Detective Tannas Knox was driving home from work when she heard the sound of explosives from the fireworks store.
“There was an explosion at the front door,” Knox said, adding she feared the mortar rounds firing toward the street. “It was shooting all into Church Street.”
Employees escaped but didn’t have time to move their cars that burned.
Knox called dispatch and used her unmarked car to block traffic at I-24 traveling toward Church Street until patrol units arrived.
Farley said, “lots of mortar rounds were going off.”
Firefighters were faced with fireworks shooting at them. Because of the danger, firefighters attacked the fire from a defensive tactic outside rather then sending firefighters inside the building. Firefighters sprayed water from the aerial truck.
When the electricity was turned off, it also turned off power to the On the Run Exxon store. Waffle House closed.
Helping in the response were Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency and Emergency Medical Services’ paramedics and Special Operations Response Team.
The fire drew the attention of hundreds of spectators traveling on I-24 and on South Church Street. State troopers helped redirect traffic.
David Wilson of White’s Towing pulled his tow truck up in a store parking lot and climbed up in the so he could see better.
“I ain’t never seen so many (fireworks),” Wilson said. “I can see it good.”
Gray smoke was visible from downtown Murfreesboro, attracting the attention of Wal-Mart shoppers Samantha Jensen and Jennifer Felts.
“We got bored and thought we’d follow it,” Jensen said. “It’s like a fireworks show. There’s a lot of green, my favorite color.”
Felts said she saw lots of red and green fireworks.
“It’s better than Wal-Mart,” Felts said.
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