In 2012, a show presented by Garden State Fireworks went awry. On Wednesday, July 4, 2012, 7,000 fireworks, intended for a 17-minute display, discharged prematurely and simultaneously from all four barges and the pier. The entire cache exploded in less than a minute.
The coordinated fireworks are triggered by computer, and the premature discharge was blamed on a corrupted computer file. There were no injuries; workers on the barges took refuge in metal shelters designed for their protection. Garden State Fireworks apologized and promised to do a future show for free. The accident went viral on the internet.