July 6,  2009



The normally festive and even boisterous July 4 on Ocracoke turned somber after a truck carrying fireworks for the traditional display exploded in the parking lot of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching campus near the ferry docks in the village.

Four people were killed, and one was injured in the massive explosion, which shook buildings on the island and sent up a “mushroom” cloud that could be seen out to the beach.

All five victims were members of a crew of contractors for Melrose South Pyrotechnics, Inc., of Catawba, S.C., who were preparing to unload the truck for the evening fireworks, which were scheduled to last 22 minutes.

Neither Hyde County nor the Melrose South Pyrotechnics has officially released the names of the dead, other than Charles Kirkland, Jr., 49, who died at the scene.

Three others died in hospitals, where they were transported by helicopter.  Two victims transported to Pitt County Memorial Hospital have died, and one of two transported to the University of North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill died.  A second worker at the burn center is reported to be in stable condition.

However, members of The Lord’s Table Church in Goldsboro, N.C., have confirmed that three of the dead were members of the church and one other person who was killed has been a visitor there.

In addition to Kirkland, who is the son of one of the church’s pastors, the dead include
Terry Holland, 51, the church’s maintenance director, Lisa Simmons, 41, a single working mother involved in several church ministries, and Mark Hill, 21. who has occasionally visited the church.

The survivor is Terry Holland’s nephew, Martez.

Most July 4 activities on Ocracoke were canceled, including the Old Time Parade through the village.

The parade was rescheduled for Sunday, July 5, as a “silent parade” to honor and memorialize the fireworks company’s employees and pay tribute to the emergency personnel and community volunteers who responded to the tragedy.


“It wasn't a very big parade,” said Sundae Horn of Ocracoke.

She said that there were only the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services trucks, the National Park Service, and the Sudan Buccaneers that come very year from Elizabeth City, N.C., along with a few local people who participated.

“Usually,” Horn said, “there are dozens of floats and the street is lined with spectators. We did have people turn out to see the parade, but not nearly as many as usual. It was mostly local people who came all the way to the end.”

After the parade, Hyde County deputy fire marshal Lindsey Mooney expressed thanks to all the people who came out to support the parade. He passed around two fireman's boots for donations for the victims' families.

Gary Mitchell, Jamie Tunnell, and Horn led the crowd in singing the National Anthem, the Rev. Joyce Reynolds of Ocracoke United Methodist Church and a member of the OVFD, said a few words and got all to applaud the EMS and OVFD for their hard work. Reynolds was followed with a prayer by Sam Garris of the Ocracoke Assembly Of God Church.

The event ended with everyone singing “God Bless America.”

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