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No one injured after bonfire explodes at annual homecoming event

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Posted at 8:12 PM, Oct 06, 2022
and last updated 2022-10-07 10:53:48-04

An annual high school tradition in Florida didn't go as planned when a bonfire unexpectedly exploded Wednesday at a homecoming event.

The Bay County Sheriff's Office said on its Facebook page that the incident occurred at Mosley High School in Lynn Haven.

In a Facebook post, school officials said the explosion happened while it was being lit.

Sheriff Tommy Ford said no one was injured and no students were hurt since they were safely behind a fence away from the fire.

School officials said that deputies and the firefighters were already on site as a safety precaution and were able to quickly jump in "to ensure the fire remained contained."

According to the sheriff's office, the deputy who set up this year's bonfire has been doing it for the last seven years.

Ford said they aren't sure what caused the explosion, but the department is taking responsibility for the incident.

"We apologize for any distress this has caused and I assure you that we are officially out of the bonfire business," Ford said.

School officials said the explosion is under investigation since they "did not deviate from our usual bonfire lighting procedures."