Weather Hinders Explosion Inquiry

Rainy weather combined with extreme heat is preventing investigators from determining the cause of an Independence Day fireworks accident that killed a Moorpark pyrotechnics worker and left another in critical condition, authorities said Tuesday.

Michelle Galanda, 36, died Monday after stacks of fireworks she and several co-workers were unloading exploded hours before a Fourth of July show was scheduled to begin at the Peoria Sports Complex about 12 miles outside Phoenix.

Jeff Frazier, 36, also of Moorpark, was hospitalized at Maricopa County Medical Center, where he remains in critical but stable condition after suffering burns over 75% of his body, said Kelly Corsette, a Peoria spokeswoman.

Four other employees of Salt Lake City-based Lantis Fireworks & Lasers were injured, including a Newbury Park woman who remains hospitalized in good condition, Corsette said.

Officials suspect humidity and the 110-degree temperature may have made the explosives unstable, but the investigation is incomplete. Thunderstorms combined with a number of potentially dangerous fireworks still littering the scene Tuesday, preventing investigators from pursuing the probe, Corsette said.

Explosives personnel from the U. S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms must first make the scene safe for investigators by removing a number of undetonated fireworks, Corsette said.

ATF Special Agent Larry Bettendorf said the bomb crews are proceeding with great caution since the mixture of moisture and extreme heat makes the already dangerous explosives more volatile.

Bettendorf said that while investigators have reached no conclusions, static electricity--a prime concern among those who use commercial explosives--is a likely culprit.