A 4th of July weekend celebration turned into a fiery nightmare when fireworks went screaming into the stands at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles — sending panicked fans scrambling for cover.
Just minutes after Angel City FC defeated the Orlando Pride 2-0, the club’s Independence Day weekend pyrotechnics display went haywire.
Instead of launching into the sky, multiple mortars allegedly fired sideways across the field and toward packed seating sections.
“The end is actually the worst. I saw several flames go into the crowd. It was terrifying!” one shaken Reddit user wrote.
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Another fan said the experience was still haunting them hours later.
“2 hours later and I’m still shaking. The dad next to me dove to cover his kids. Super scary and will have PTSD hearing fireworks in the future.”
One firework reportedly shot toward the section where Angel City co-founder Julie Uhrman, team staff and family guests were seated.
A rep for Angel City FC, tells The California Post, “A fireworks malfunction did occur during last night’s post-match celebration at Angel City FC’s game vs. Orlando at BMO Stadium. Our medical and safety teams were on site and ready to respond. Stadium operations confirmed the venue was secure and guests, staff, players, and crew were able to depart safely. We are working closely with our pyrotechnics vendor to review the incident and evaluating appropriate next steps.”
Another stray firework reportedly struck a stadium security guard on the pitch.
Despite the terrifying malfunction and the chaos that unfolded, early reports indicated no major injuries were reported and everyone appeared to escape safely.
Another fan said the club’s postgame fireworks have long been a concern.
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“I hate when we do them because they scare the crap out of my toddler. We try to sit in our seats late when we think they’ll have them now for this reason.”
A spectator said the near miss left the crowd badly shaken.
“Everyone in my section (117) seemed physically OK but really shook up. The one that flew towards us in the video narrowly missed a security guard and went into the advertising board.”
BMO Stadium is located in Exposition Park, next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the University of Southern California campus.
The frightening mishap came after Angel City improved to 5-6-1, securing interim head coach Leif Gunnar Smerud’s first win, with Friday night’s victory over Orlando.
While the club sits in the middle of the NWSL standings roughly 40% of the way through the 2026 season, it remains the league’s biggest commercial success, leading in attendance, sponsorship revenue and merchandise sales while building a global following through its Hollywood ownership.
