SimpliSafe, a company specializing in home security systems, was trending on Wednesday after a chilling video showed what can happen when using firecrackers goes wrong.
new_orleansjazz | Twitter
The clip, which has been viewed over 25 million times on Twitter (after it was originally posted to Reddit and subsequently deleted), shows a crowd of people seated in a driveway, including several children.
A logo for SimpliSafe can be seen in the top left corner of the video throughout the clip.
ummm. pic.twitter.com/XOESbiyjV9
— Cody (@new_orleansjazz) July 6, 2022
The first fireworks go off, but sparks fly. Just as the air seems clear, a fire erupts, setting off an explosive chain reaction of firecrackers and fire as the people in the video scramble to safety.
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Twitter lit up with theories about what actually happened.
“I’ll admit I’ve watched this a few too many times, but I genuinely believe the hideout was lit by a misdirected firework of the main fireworks, which appears to have misfired,” according to a Twitter user. “The guy looked at the area and turned away because he knew it was going to explode (ears covered), but he didn’t know how big it would be.”
“You can see what happened if you look,” pointed out another. “The first fireworks they set off went into the trunk of the car [where] the rest of the fireworks must have been stored.”
Others thought the video might have been a setup.
“If this is viral marketing for SimpliSafe then it’s awesome,” one wrote along with the clip. “The quality of the camera and microphone is good enough to capture the entire narration in stunning detail, from the uncle yelling about how firecrackers work to the mother hurrying to get her child out. A rich tapestry.”
“Someone else loves the irony of SimpliSafe in the corner,” asked another.
SimpliSafe told Entrepreneur they were surprised their name was trending on Wednesday.
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“Although the quality and sensational nature of the video captured by our SimpliSafe camera might make this appear like a marketing stunt by SimpliSafe, it definitely isn’t. Customer videos and audio cannot be accessed without permission by anyone but the owner, so we were just so shocked to see the video online after the customer shared it,” said Scott Braun, SimpliSafe’s chief growth officer, via email. Mail to Entrepreneur, “As a company involved in the protection business, we do not take lightly events that would compromise the security of our customers, whether those events are within our control or not. True to our commitment, To protect our customers, we are trying to reach out to the customer to ensure their family and loved ones are safe.”
It is not clear where or when the virus incident took place, nor do we know if there were any injuries. The Twitter user who posted the video explained that he actually had no relationship with the people in the video.
“I found this on Reddit and decided to post it here because there was so much talk about fireworks here in Utah and it was just getting crazy,” he wrote.
SimpliSafe also posted a PSA on its Twitter account on Wednesday afternoon.
“We received many comments and inquiries today as to whether this was a scheduled event,” the tweet said. “We exist to protect our customers and do not take lightly events that threaten their safety. If you know or know anyone in this video please let us know if everyone involved is safe.”
Last year, an estimated 11,500 firework-related injuries were treated in hospital emergency departments in the United States, with 74% of those injuries reported in the one-month period between June 18 and July 18, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.