Pyrotecnician critically injured during fireworks show in Kingman

A professional pyrotechnician was critically injured during a Fourth of July fireworks show in Kingman, Ariz.

Jeremy Lee, 40, of Washington, Utah was being treated for facial burns and fractures, a brain injury and the likely loss of an eye, according to Assistant Kingman Fire Chief Keith Eaton. Eaton said Lee’s employer, fireworks contractor Lantis, notified him about the injuries. Lee underwent surgery Friday morning at University Medical Center in Las Vegas.

Eaton said there were just seven minutes left in the Kingman show at the Mohave County Fairgrounds when the accident occurred at 9:31 p.m. The lead shooter directed Lee to examine a box of shells that were not electronically firing properly, he said.

Lee was five feet away when the box containing 30 three-inch shells exploded, Eaton said. Investigators believe that floating embers raining down from other fireworks may have kicked off the explosion.

Another pyrotechnician was critically burned in Kingman 22 years ago when an entire Independence Day fireworks show exploded at ground level.