Simi Valley fireworks company also had malfunction in Laguna Hills

The same pyrotechnics that malfunctioned in Simi Valley, causing at least one explosive to launch into the crowd, also failed during a Laguna Hills show, according to Bay Fireworks.

The fireworks shells were manufactured in China, according to Chief Executive Dennis Brady Jr., who described the two malfunctions as “similar” in an email.

“Thankfully we did not experience the same chain reaction,” he wrote of the Laguna Hills incident.

This is the second year in a row that the fireworks show in Laguna Hills has been canceled early after a pyrotechnic malfunction, said City Manager Bruce Channing.

This year’s $24,500 show started about five or 10 minutes after 9 p.m. and lasted about five minutes, Channing said. As apparently happened in Simi Valley, a rocket exploded either inside or very near to its casing in the ground, he said.

The city had contracted with the company for an 18-to-20-minute show, but the premature explosion damaged unfired explosives, according to Channing.

A similar incident occurred last year in Laguna Hills, when a fireworks exploded in its canister, Channing said.

Channing said he gave the company the “benefit of the doubt” and decided to contract with it again this year.

“It was all sort of written off as being a function of bad product that was acquired for these shows,” Channing said.

At least two other cities that used Bay Fireworks also had problems with delayed shows, although they had successful ones in 2012.

The show in Claremont, held at Pomona College on July 4, started more than 20 minutes behind schedule, said Melissa Vollaro, community and human services manager.

Vollaro said the delay was the result of programming problems but added that the show otherwise proceeded as planned.

In San Juan Capistrano, the start of a $28,900 show was delayed and there were further delays between fireworks, said Cathy Salcedo, executive services manager for the city.

Brady Jr. said he was not aware of the problems in Claremont and San Juan Capistrano.

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