Stray Bottle Rocket Starts Fire Inside Tree Before Fireworks Show In Albion

Crews in Albion had to spend some time prior to the big Independence Day fireworks show putting out a fire likely sparked by a stray bottle rocket.

The Albion Department of Public Safety streamed their efforts on Facebook just before 9pm Tuesday, after a bottle rocket caught the hollow center of a tree at the Riverside Cemetery on fire.

Citizens were gathered at the cemetery as they awaited the start of the city's fireworks display.

It was a little bit of a struggle to put the blaze out, as the hoses of firefighters couldn’t get inside the gap to reach the flames. Eventually, a long, thin metal attachment was retrieved that allowed water to be dispersed inside the tree.

No injuries were reported due to this hiccup in Albion’s Fourth of July plans. According to the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau on Facebook, the fireworks show went ahead as scheduled sometime after 10pm Tuesday.