A dramatic scene unfolded in New York City on Friday night as a fire broke out on the Brooklyn Bridge during the city's annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration, sending flames and thick smoke into the night sky in front of thousands of spectators.
The blaze ignited while the fireworks display was underway, prompting an immediate response from the New York City Fire Department. Firefighters deployed two fire engines and quickly brought the flames under control shortly before 10 p.m.
No injuries were reported. The bridge had already been closed to traffic as part of the city's security and safety measures for the event, helping prevent the incident from causing greater harm.
Fire officials said that small fires of this nature are a known risk during large fireworks displays, which is why the public is kept at a safe distance from launch areas.
The fireworks show had been moved up earlier in the evening because of the threat of severe weather, which also disrupted Independence Day celebrations across the US East Coast. In Washington, D.C., crowds gathered on the National Mall were evacuated as storms approached.