'I Was Scared': Brooklyn Bridge Catches Fire During July 4 Fireworks Display In New York | Watch

As the United States celebrated its 250th year of independence with a dazzling fireworks display, a tense moment took place in New York after several parts of the Brooklyn Bridge caught fire during the show, setting off a plume of smoke before firefighters extinguished the blaze.

Viral videos showed flames and thick black smoke rising from parts of the bridge as fireworks continued to shoot into the night sky, and cheers turned into a brief moment of alarm. At least four spots of the bridge appeared to catch fire during the display, according to The New York Times.

Firefighters were seen dousing the flames shortly before 10 pm on the bridge, which had been closed to traffic during the show, according to The Associated Press. The Police Department

said no injuries were reported.

THE BROOKLYN BRIG IS ON FIRE🔥 pic.twitter.com/MGrI9rcufO

— The Last Best Hope of Earth (@TheLastHopeUSA) July 5, 2026

NYC went all out this year!!
(Brooklyn Bridge on Fire 🤦🏻‍♂️😂) pic.twitter.com/RxIRxXC3Xw

— The JRE Companion (@TheJRECompanion) July 5, 2026

After the fireworks show concluded, flashing red lights from emergency vehicles were seen in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge. The fire was extinguished shortly after 10 pm, but the bridge was closed for traffic for some time.

What Did People Say?

Nearing Khoula from France described the scenes while watching the fireworks display from the Brooklyn waterfront. “At first I thought it was supposed to happen, but then I was scared it would explode. I thought the bridge was made of wood, so I was scared. There were four at the same time. Some extra fireworks exploded due to the fire,” she told the New York Post.

Another spectator, Mohamed Shaban, said the fire started small but spread quickly. “There was too much black smoke.”

However, Sharanika Akter, who came from Queens to watch the fireworks show, said nobody panicked at the scene. “I thought it was pretty small, from my view from the ground,” she told NYT.

Love Majewski said she sensed something was out of control when she saw flames growing amid firework blasts. “It was very obvious that, for native New Yorkers, it was not part of the show. This is not usual, this is out of control.”

The Fourth of July celebrations took place amid severe weather and a record-breaking heat wave that disrupted several celebrations in the US capital.