ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The fireworks company that owned a warehouse in Orange County that caught fire and ignited numerous fireworks, killing four people and injuring another, has been fined nearly $110,000.
Records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration show Magic in the Sky has been cited for 10 separate violations. Five people, including a teen, were taken to the hospital on Dec. 1 after the fireworks explosion. Of the five, four died and were identified as David Gonzalez, 22; Lindsey Phillips, 23; Landon Bourland, 24; and Elizabeth Tiralongo, 22.
The company has been sued by the families of the victims in the massive fire, claiming workers weren’t properly trained and fireworks weren’t even supposed to be stored at the warehouse. The lawsuits also named several other entities, including SeaWorld Entertainment.
The estate of Phillips filed the lawsuit in March, which accuses Magic in the Sky of negligence, claiming they violated the law because the warehouse where fireworks were being stored and repaired was not permitted or approved, that Phillips did not receive proper training and failed to install proper fire safety equipment, including smoke alarms or detectors.
The lawsuit also accuses SeaWorld Entertainment of negligence because it said the company was in a joint venture with Magic in the Sky and therefore should have made sure the company was following regulations.
The lawsuit came months after an Orange County commissioner learned the business that was holding the fireworks had permits to store furniture in the warehouse, not fireworks.
To read OSHA’s inspection detail, click here.
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