A large explosion was heard at approximately 3:15 p.m. today, coming from a barge on the Patuxent River between Hollywood and Broomes Island.
911 communications called up fire rescue boats for St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties to be on stand by because numerous callers indicated a barge explosion.
Within minutes, officials learned the barge was loaded down with fireworks for one of the many canceled shows in Southern Maryland, and one accidentally went off.
No one was reported injured and the craft was not in trouble so the rescue mission was called off.