Massachusetts fire officials suspend fireworks shooter’s license after unexploded fireworks washed up on Chappaquiddick Island

The state fire marshal has suspended a fireworks shooter’s license after unexploded commercial-grade fireworks shells washed up on Chappaquiddick Island following a Martha’s Vineyard Fourth of July show.

The technician who ran the Edgartown show is now banned from pyrotechnics work in Massachusetts for the next five years.

Also, his employer Central Maine Pyrotechnics could face a two-year suspension in the Bay State if the company violates the terms of a licensing disposition reached on Wednesday, according to State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey.

The suspension handed down from state fire officials comes after the discovery of more than two dozen unexploded commercial fireworks shells, which washed ashore on Chappaquiddick Island after the fireworks display.

The shells ranged from three to eight inches in diameter and were highly explosive, with the potential to cause grave physical injury or worse, officials said.

“Fireworks are inherently dangerous,” Ostroskey said. “Communities trust professional fireworks vendors to handle these devices with the utmost caution and professionalism.

“We’re extremely fortunate that no one was injured by the grave public safety hazard that unexploded shells posed on a public beach,” the state fire marshal added.

The fireworks shooter, Anthony Marson of Maine, on Wednesday accepted a 10-year suspension of his fireworks certificate of competency, which is the license a fireworks shooter must have to work lawfully in Massachusetts.

Under the terms of the disposition, he will serve five years of that suspension, effective from July 6, 2023 — the date when his license was suspended as an imminent threat to public safety. The remaining five years will be held in abeyance as a probationary period.

Central Maine Pyrotechnics accepted a two-year suspension that will be held in abeyance as a probationary period.

If Marson or Central Maine Pyrotechnics fail to comply with the terms of their dispositions or commit any violation of Massachusetts law or the Comprehensive Fire Safety Code, the portion of their suspension held in abeyance will be reinstated, in addition to any new penalties they may face.

Both Marston and Central Maine Pyrotechnics on Wednesday acknowledged violations of the Massachusetts Fire Code in connection with the show and its aftermath, including the requirements for proper disposal of unfired shells and a search at first light the next morning for unexploded shells.

Wednesday’s disposition followed efforts at the Martha’s Vineyard scene by the Edgartown Fire Department, Edgartown Police Department, and Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad technicians — as well as an investigation by Edgartown Fire, the State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office, and the Department of Fire Services’ Code Compliance and Enforcement Unit.